Anthony Volpe was mired in the worst slump of his career and one of the worst in Yankees history.
The young shortstop entered Thursday's series opener against the White Sox 1 for his last 37. That .027 OBP (one hit, no walks) over his last 11 games was the lowest by a Yankee non-pitcher ever (minimum 30 plate appearances). That stretch led to him being benched in consecutive games for the first time in his career, but the Yankees are trying to get Volpe right, and starting him seems to be their solution.
And for at least one game, it worked.
Volpe went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored in the Yankees' 10-4 win in Chicago.
"Hopefully, it’s something that will get him going," manager Aaron Boone said after the game.
But Thursday's performance wasn't always pretty for Volpe. His first at-bat saw him reach on a fielding error, but he stole second — his first stolen base since Aug. 6 — and scored on a Ben Rice single. He then finally got a knock, lacing a double down the left-field line in his second at-bat before singling through the right side in his third AB. Thursday was Volpe's first multi-hit game since Aug. 1.
Boone was asked if Volpe had changed anything at the plate and the Yankees skipper said he didn't because he noticed there were good at-bats being had during his slump.
"Going back the last four games, there’s been an at-bat in each game where he hasn’t got rewarded where he squared it up," Boone said. "But in and around that, he’s had some at-bats that haven’t gone well. Little more consistent, little more disciplined tonight and good to see him get results."
"Nothing [has changed]," Volpe said of his approach at the plate. "Sticking to my approach and staying on the pitches."
Volpe said mentally, he's kept his perspective during his recent rough stretch. He's felt the frustrations of his performance but felt that he was close to breaking through.
"It’s a balance. It’s obviously frustrating. At the end of the day, you want to get results and help the team. When you’re not doing that, it’s frustrating," he said. "At the same time, I felt like I was close and taking good swings, putting together some good at-bats. Just a balance."
He added, "I was barreling up the ball and getting pitches I can drive. There’s some bad at-bats in there, but I felt good."
Any major leaguer can explain that the last thing a struggling hitter can do is take their offensive woes to the field with them. Volpe has often done that season, and it happened in Thursday's game. In the second inning, Volpe booted a grounder right at him, and it resulted in four unearned runs. It's Volpe's 18th error of the season, tied for the MLB lead.
To Volpe's credit, he didn't let it affect his defense for the rest of the game or at the plate. He picked up his two hits and even produced a sac fly to tack on a run in the later innings.
"After the error there in the second inning, I thought he made three stellar plays. Good to see him bounce back from that," Boone said. "We need to get him going. He’s such an important part of what we do. Hopefully, this is something he can build on."
Boone says that it's hard for a young player to push past making an error in the majors but knows Volpe has that makeup, which is what helps him stand out.
"Wiring-wise, he’s made for it. Gotta keep playing. I feel like he’s always kinda done that," he said. "I think it’s an important trait to have in our business. You better be able to get past some failures or mistakes, or this game will sink ya."
"Just part of the game. There’s no other alternative," Volpe said of burying a mistake.
It's been a tough season for Volpe. Although his numbers this year are close to what he did in his rookie campaign, three seasons in and the team, fans and Volpe himself expect more out of him. In 132 games, he's slashing .207/.271/.397 with an OPS of .668 to go along with 18 homers and 66 RBI. And that includes his defensive errors and miscues that have cost the Yankees games this year.
But as the team gets ready for a postseason push, perhaps Thursday's game can unlock something in Volpe for the stretch run.
Cody Bellinger, who had three hits, including a homer on Thursday, can attest to what a little confidence boost can do for a player.
"Confidence is huge," he told YES Network's Meredit Marakovits on the field after the win. "A lot of balls right at people lately. That’s tough when things aren’t going your way. Credit to him, honestly. He stays locked in, stays positive. He’s a great baseball player. It’s exciting for him, especially today."
With three more games in Chicago, the Yankees and their fans will see if Volpe can indeed build off of this.