Yankees’ Anthony Volpe Makes Candid Admission About ‘Frustrating’ Errors

The shortstop for the New York Yankees is hardly a person who can afford a slip up.

Scrutiny on the player who holds that position will always be high, especially in the post-Derek Jeter era. And Anthony Volpe, touted as some sort of Jeter successor coming up from the minor leagues, is constantly under the microscope.

Lately, Volpe has not only struggled to live up to the Jeter heir tag, but he’s plain struggling. He made two more errors in the Yankees’ 7-5 win on Tuesday night, somewhat overshadowing his home run that helped power the victory.

Volpe’ 15 errors on the season tie him with Elly De La Cruz of the Cincinnati Reds for the most in the game. And though errors aren’t everything, nearly every defensive metric shows Volpe has regressed from his first two seasons in the big leagues.

After Tuesday’s game, Volpe was candid about his struggles, including the fact that he’s never gone through anything all that similar.

“I’ve never really experienced something like this,” said Volpe, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. “But I’ve got really good guys around me. I know what I’m capable of. It’s obviously frustrating, but it’s not discouraging. I know the standard I have for myself. I’m going to keep pushing until I prove it to myself every day.”

Volpe botched a simple flip to second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. in the first inning that led to two Tampa Bay Rays runs, then threw a ball in the dirt in the ninth inning that first baseman Paul Goldschmidt couldn’t scoop. That would have ended the game, though the Yankees eventually pulled it out.

It’s obvious watching the Yankees that Volpe is second-guessing himself in the field. He can’t be replaced at the trade deadline, for there are no shortstops available.

But if he doesn’t get this issue solved quickly, the odds that he keeps the starting gig in the Bronx through the end of his rookie contract (through 2028) seem negligible at best.

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