Anthony Volpe strode to the plate for a pivotal seventh-inning at-bat Wednesday night time, even because the overwhelming proof — and the followers’ opinions — pointed to a change.
Trailing by three runs and with simply eight outs remaining of their season, the Yankees may hardly afford to waste one and Volpe’s at-bats had nearly turn into computerized strikeouts.
But supervisor Aaron Boone caught together with his embattled shortstop in what could be a season-ending 5-2 loss to the Blue Jays in Sport 4 of the ALDS.
Volpe struck out in what could be his final at-bat of a traditionally terrible ALDS that noticed him turn into the primary Yankee to ever strike out 9 occasions with zero hits a in a three-game postseason stretch, per Katie Sharp.
The third-year participant went 1-for-15 (.067) with 11 strikeouts within the ALDS, together with 13 straight outs to finish his season, and hit simply .192 with a .538 OPS throughout 26 postseason at-bats.
“It’s brutal,” Volpe mentioned of the postseason exit. “Form of in shock. That’s all I acquired.”
Volpe’s postseason started with him having the staff’s greatest at-bats in opposition to Cy Younger candidate Garrett Crochet in Sport 1 of the wild-card collection in opposition to Boston earlier than he grew to become a legal responsibility in the course of the ALDS.
In some methods, it mirrored his profession.
There are the highs, like his homer off Crochet, however these fleeting moments of positivity are overshadowed by prolonged struggles that fully overwhelm the narrative.
Volpe entered the sport in an 0-for-10 funk, together with seven strikeouts, whereas Jose Caballero obtained simply two late pinch-hit alternatives in the course of the collection.
The shortstop struck swinging out within the second inning Wednesday with the Yankees trailing, 1-0, after which once more fanned within the fifth inning with Toronto forward, 2-1.
The Blue Jays tacked on two extra runs earlier than Volpe’s spot got here up with one out within the seventh following a leadoff stroll by Paul Goldschmidt.
The Yankees had a full bench at their disposal — Caballero, Ben Rice, Amed Rosario and Jasson Dominguez — however Boone opted to stick with Volpe in opposition to southpaw Brendon Little.
Volpe offered one other uncompetitive at-bat, taking a excessive first pitch earlier than taking a look at two strikes.
One fan even implored Volpe to swing the bat in a viral second captured by FS1.
Little tossed a low knuckle curve that Volpe swung by means of for his third strikeout, with the Yankee Stadium devoted showering him in boos.
Boone then opted to pinch hit for Ryan McMahon, who had pushed within the Yankees’ lone run with a homer run in opposition to a southpaw.
Anthony Volpe’s ALDS
Whereas there are causes to take away McMahon in opposition to lefties on account of his struggles in opposition to same-side pitchers, one may argue that taking Volpe out would have improved the Yankees’ probabilities to win.
Boone mercifully pulled Volpe earlier than his scheduled at-bat within the ninth inning, inserting Dominguez, who promptly doubled to offer a “What if?” second.
This dreadful postseason got here on the heels of Volpe’s tumultuous common season through which he slashed .212/.272/.391 with a .663 OPS, failing to indicate the expansion some hoped.
Whereas Volpe battled a shoulder damage, he posted the worst on-base share of his profession and his batting common dropped 31 factors from final yr.
He didn’t reveal a lot when requested the impact the shoulder had on him, nor did he rule out surgical procedure when requested whether or not that’s on the desk.
“I’ve a very good relationship with the coaching employees and so they trusted them, I trusted them,” Volpe mentioned. “And we grinded, the entire method, till at present. I may have executed loads higher.”
Volpe’s 2024 postseason, when he hit .286 with an .815 OPS in the course of the World Sequence run, had been used as a promoting level to indicate that he can shine when it issues.
This postseason now gives extra questions on his means to be a franchise participant.
“I’m certain there will probably be a variety of sleepless nights, monitoring again and stuff like that,” Volpe mentioned.
