World Series winning manager says quiet part out loud about Yankees' Anthony Volpe

We'd just like to remind everybody that we'd rather not keep writing about Anthony Volpe and the horrors that have followed him throughout the 2025 season. It is legitimately painful and frustrating for New York Yankees fans. We can't imagine what he's going through, but the Yankees don't seem to want to do right by him or anybody else.

That's created a wildfire among the media, which can't help but discuss what's going on with Volpe as the team craters. He's statistically one of the worst shortstops — and worst players! — in all of Major League Baseball. Yet, every night, manager Aaron Boone tells the world otherwise when he's answering postgame questions. He calls Volpe "elite" and chalks up his struggles to "a few missed plays or opportunities."

That's allowed the discourse to span far and wide. Local media. National media. Content creators. Former players. Former managers. Anybody with a pulse who watches the Yankees more than the average individual. And the latest to weigh in is former Tampa Bay Rays, Chicago Cubs and LA Angels manager Joe Maddon.

Appearing on MLB Now, Maddon stated his "shocking" case for Volpe, prefacing it with the fact he's a "Volpe fan" and believes "he's going to be a very good player for years to come." Maddon thinks the Yankees should temporarily send Volpe down to Triple-A and acquire a sure-handed defensive shortstop at the trade deadline.

Yes, a "shocking" proposition ... to only the Yankees front office, Aaron Boone, and the 14 Volpe "stans" hiding behind avatars on social media.

Joe Maddon says quiet part out loud about Yankees' Anthony Volpe on MLB Now

Listen to the tone of Maddon's voice. He's being extremely sympathetic yet pragmatic. He understands this isn't an ideal situation, and one that's rather uncomfortable. But he's facing the reality, with the focus being "time is of the essence." Volpe is in his third year and taking steps backward. If the appropriate adjustments aren't made, his career could be ruined.

The former rival manager compared the situation to what the Mets just did with catcher Francisco Alvarez, who was a top-10 prospect in all of baseball three years ago and finished as the No. 1 prospect in the organization for three straight years prior to his promotion to the big leagues. He was optioned about a month ago because of how poorly he was playing (and how he was regressing, in a multitude if ways, since 2023). Obviously, the Yankees face a much greater threat of getting torn down by headlines if they option Volpe, whereas the Mets weren't exactly exposed to such a risk with Alvarez, but the parallels here are clear: these are two possible franchise players that possess the necessary talent to succeed, but they have failed to realize that potential for three years now.

The Mets were proactive and didn't care what anybody thought when they made their decision. Alvarez is already back with the team and went 2-for-6 with three runs scored, a homer, two RBI and two walks in the two games since his return. The Yankees, instead of being constructive and forward-thinking with Volpe, have just spent their time yelling at reporters at different points over the last three years for asking the most boilerplate questions.

There is no shame in Volpe being granted a mental reset in order for him to get right, regain his confidence, and see the game a bit differently. There is the utmost shame in the Yankees claiming Volpe is an "elite" player when he's leading all of MLB in errors and is on pace to register another well-below-average OPS+ for the third straight year.