Anthony Volpe shouldn't be handed keys to Yankees 2B job, but he deserves more grace

It’s difficult to think of a player in baseball who had as wild of a 2026 season as Anthony Volpe. He began the year on the proverbial hot seat in the eyes of a large portion of the New York Yankees fan base. However, after being exiled to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in August to work on his game, he became an unlikely fan favorite when he debuted at second base during the Yankees’ late-season push. 

For some, his limited time at the position was more than enough to justify penciling Volpe in as the Yankees’ full-time second basemen next season. Perhaps we should pump the brakes just a little bit on that. With multiple options worth exploring for the Yankees this offseason, Volpe shouldn't have locked down the job just yet. 

That’s not to say that Volpe couldn’t handle second base in 2027. He appeared to be more than capable of handling the role moving forward. When Jazz Chisholm Jr. went down with a hand injury in September, the Yankees turned to a Volpe to fill in at second. Equipped with a revamped swing, the 25-year-old appeared to relish his second chance at making an impact in the Bronx, and it showed. In just 12 games at second base in the regular season, Volpe performed quite admirably on both sides of the ball.

We just can’t jump the gun here, though. By all accounts, Chisholm Jr. will likely be playing for another team next season. His future with the Yankees is still technically up in the air. General manager Brian Cashman could extend a qualifying option to Chisholm Jr. in the very near future. He could also pull off a trade for another established second baseman such as Xavier Edwards of the Miami Marlins.  

Suffice to say, the Yankees have a number of potential routes that they can take to fill their need at second base. And Volpe getting a fair shot to earn the job will be one of the routes.   

Anthony Volpe could have an exciting second act for the Yankees 

Twelve regular season games at second base is just not enough playing time to really gauge how well Volpe would be able to transition to the position over the course of a full season. Even in Triple-A this past season, Volpe started just 19 games at second. He has the potential to be a very good defensive second baseman, but do the Yankees have the time to wait around for him to develop into that player? That's one big check in the con column for Volpe.  

With his below average arm strength, his throws may actually play up at second base, even when turning a double play. Throughout his playing days at short, Volpe was guilty of short-hopping his fair share of throws to first. With less distance to make his throws, that problem could be solved. That's a major check in the pro column.  

As a highly-regarded prospect in the New York Yankees’ minor league system, Volpe was thought to be the team’s future shortstop for at least the next decade. The team has always known that he has the talent. So when Isiah Kiner-Falefa began drawing the ire of Yankees fans for his questionable ability as a full-time shortstop, the organization turned to Volpe as their solution in 2023. 

With +26 Defensive Runs Saved throughout his four-year career, Volpe is clearly gifted in the field. His Gold Glove in 2023 is proof of that. Despite that impressive ability to field the ball, Volpe has also been plagued by costly errors during his time with the Yankees. Whether it’s attributed to that lack of arm strength or just a classic case of the yips, Volpe fell victim to prolonged stretches of poor defense. That's another check in the con column.

If he produced at the plate, those stretches may have been overlooked. But with a career .661 OPS, Volpe simply failed to meet the lofty standards of a Yankees shortstop set by Derek Jeter. Like it or not, that’s who Yankees fans will usually compare incoming players to. Leaping throws or notable hustle plays from shortstops are almost always referred to as Jeter-esque.

Without the pressures of living up to that standard at short, perhaps Volpe begins to thrive more as a ball player? We already saw George Lombard Jr. deal with glimpses of that pressure when he faced his own defensive struggles this season. Volpe did look just a little more comfortable playing second base in 2026. Another check in the pro column.

Regardless of Volpe’s potential to handle second base for the Yankees, the team must exhaust all of their options at the position heading into 2027. Whether that’s looking at free agency or making a splashy trade, they can’t afford to settle for just good enough.      

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