Is Anthony Volpe the biggest loophole in the Yankees’ batting lineup? After a horrendous game against the Jays on Monday night, the 24-year-old shortstop’s slash line has now hit a new low of .216/.288/.398. for this season. To understand how poorly the Yankees shortstop is performing right now, over the last month, he has recorded just 15 hits in 107 at-bats, resulting in a .140 average, with four home runs and 14 RBIs.

Earlier this month, the Yankees legend Alex Rodriguez had expressed his frustration over Volpe’s poor form. While discussing the same, he even went on to say that the Yankees will be better off without a shortstop who is averaging .215 halfway through the season. “You take Volpe for example … you just cannot win a World Series with any player, not to personalize it to Volpe, hitting .215,” A-Rod said to Michael Kay. Monday’s game against the Jays was no surprise either.

Volpe committed another error, his 12th in the season, in a 4-1 loss to Toronto. It was a throwing error to first base on a ground ball from Leo Jiménez, allowing Myles Straw to score and extending Toronto’s lead to 4-1 in a decisive four-run fifth inning. It drew further attention to the shortstop’s defensive performance this season, but the Yankees’ skipper, Aaron Boone, chose to downplay the most obvious concerns.

Providing a sunnier view, he said, “Yeah, I mean, we’re talking about a few extra errors,” before further adding, “That’s the separator of when he wins a gold glove and when he’s not. He is still a top shortstop. He hasn’t made a few plays that have generated a lot of noise… He is still making a lot of range. He [is] still making a lot of plays. He just hasn’t been as consistent as he was in his first two years, and that’s three or four plays we are talking about.”

These comments left many scratching their heads. Volpe’s problems extend well beyond his glove. His bat has not given any cover to his gaffes in the field. In 99 games, he is slashing .214 with a subpar. 680 OPS. That’s a good 11 percent, below the league average for production.

Still, when Boone defended Volpe, Bleeding Yankees Blue analyst Robert Casey noted the Yankees skipper as “Volpe’s biggest brainwashed cheerleader.” “Boone actually thinks that this kid is good,” Casey wrote. “I mean, he’s not, but for some odd, and strange reason, Boone defends this kid like he’s the next Derek Jeter. It’s not only misguided, it’s crazy and delusional.”

And this obvious backlash is not only from the analysts sitting in the studio. The massive disconnect between the manager’s words and the on-field reality has not gone unnoticed, and it has now sparked a backlash from the fans as well.

Fans fire back at Boone

When Aaron Boone called Anthony Volpe a “top shortstop,” fans armed with data immediately questioned his grasp on reality. “Top shortstop in what world?” wrote a fan. This comment cuts to the core of the issue. By almost every key metric, Volpe is far from the top. A look at the Wins Above Replacement (WAR) leaderboard shows a huge gap. Elite shortstops like Bobby Witt Jr. (4.6 WAR) and Francisco Lindor (3.4 WAR) lead the league. In stark contrast, Volpe’s WAR is a mere 0.9.

The manager’s attempt to downplay the problem as just “a few extra errors” was met with scratching criticism from another fan: “Not like he has the most errors in the AL or anything.” This fan’s sarcastic jab is rooted entirely in fact. Volpe’s 12 errors are not just “a few extra.” They are the joint-most among all American League shortstops.

Fans feel Boone’s analysis of his young shortstop goes beyond professional support. “Bro is literally in love with Volpe,” a fan chimed in. That doesn’t sound accurate, but this feeling is built on a long history of Boone’s hyperbolic defenses of Volpe. In August 2024, he called Volpe “the best defender in the league.” Even more famously, he once said Volpe is “bleeping elite” while talking to a reporter.

When a player struggles this much with no consequences, fans resort to humor to make sense of it. “Volpe must have blackmail on this man,” read another comment. This jab stems from watching high-stakes failures from Volpe. Against the Cubs on July 13, Volpe floated a 62 mph throw and failed to charge a routine grounder. These perceived lapses, combined with his booted double-play ball that lost the game against the Angels, have been met with no benching.

For many, the handling of the Volpe situation is the final straw. It’s the most glaring example in a long line of frustrations with Boone’s leadership, leading to exasperated pleas for change. “Idk how many more ways we can beg for this imbecile to be fired,” one more X user commented.

Despite a good regular-season record, Boone’s tenure is defined by postseason failures. He is in his eighth year as the Yankees manager without a World Series ring. Fans have already been pointing to his questionable in-game decisions that have plagued the team. Now, the defense of a struggling Volpe is only added to their frustration.