As the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox were locked in a scoreless game, the youngster lined out, leaving 3 runners stranded. Even though the Yankees won, the noise around Anthony Volpe refuses to die down. 

“The Anthony Volpe yearly mistake of an experiment should be over. Leave him on the bench to fill in just in case Caballero, the starting shortstop, should injure himself,” Gary Sheffield Jr., host of Yankees Unloaded, posted on social media. 

The Yankees had yet to add a run in the 4th inning when Anthony Volpe stepped on the plate with bases loaded. Every fan thought this would be the inning to add at least one run, if not more, and take the lead.

Volpe let everyone down with a line drive that CF Ceddanne Rafaela safely gloved. The more disappointing part was that he got out on a 3-1 pitch. 

Yankees Nation was not happy to see him return empty-handed. But that was hardly the only source of frustration. 

The Yankees were leading 1-0, entering the 6th. Boston 1B Willson Contreras returned a 94-mph cutter from Cam Schlittler to the left. But instead of delivering a relay, Volpe had an errant throw to home that helped the Red Sox tie the game. 

Even his debut this season was worrisome.

On May 13, against the Baltimore Orioles, Volpe went 0-for-3 with one strikeout, while committing an error on a routine ground ball in the eighth inning during the Yankees’ 7-0 loss.

Volpe isn’t having the best season in 2026.

He missed the start of the season recovering from left labrum surgery. He was stuck in Triple-A after completing his rehab, as José Caballero was solid at shortstop. It was only after Caballero fractured his finger on May 12 that Volpe got a call-up. 

The Yankees have tried to put him as the everyday shortstop. But his poor offense has been the biggest roadblock in his path. The Bleacher Creatures have shown discontent over Volpe’s permanent place, and Sheffield Jr is highlighting the same frustration. 

Anthony Volpe has recorded a career AVG of .222 over 4 seasons with the Yankees. He managed a .211 batting average and a .644 OPS this season. The 25-year-old was hitting .280 earlier but has gone 3-for-22 in the last 6 games. He went scoreless in the Boston game, just like the previous two. In fact, his 2025 was marked by similar struggles.

His 19 miscues in 153 games last year resulted in a .972 fielding percentage and a -6 Outs Above Average (OAA).  

But in the game against the Red Sox, the Yankees eventually got the better of Boston once starter Ranger Suarez was replaced.

They scored 5 runs in the 8th and won 6-1. Yet, that couldn’t cancel the growing frustration around Volpe. 

Yankees fans call for drastic action after latest Volpe struggles

Many Yankees faithful think 8 RBIs and a single homer over 16 games is enough reason not to consider Anthony Volpe a big leaguer. They want to send him back. 

“Send him back down to the minors and call up Lombard already Idc Lombard offensively can’t be worst than volpe at this point of the game,” wrote one fan.

George Lombard Jr was on a hot streak in Double-A this year. He recorded 10 RBIs and 4 HRs in 20 games to trigger a promotion to Triple-A. He has been a bit less productive since then, with just 8 RBIs and 2 HRs in 35 games. But even those numbers are better than Volpe’s. And it’s not just the numbers. The way Anthony missed a scoring opportunity left many fans heavily disappointed. 

That’s why a user mocked, “What a swing on a 3-1 meatball.” Another one joined the parade, saying, “And then follows it up with a sh—y throw to home, allowing a run. Get your  act together, Volpe!”

Many consider the line drive on a 3-1 pitch to be absolutely unnecessary. He could have played it safe to increase the chance of adding a huge score for the pinstripes. Fans saw his brutal throw as a mental error. While his stats show a net-positive Fielding Run Value, such mistakes are dealbreakers for the loyalists. 

“Facts. This kid is a 1 tool player. He can run. Period. He needs to run back to AAA ASAP,” read another comment. 

People believe that Volpe’s hitting, fielding, and throwing are not at the MLB level. Speed is the only arrow in his quiver, as he has stolen 5 bases so far in 2026. However, they are completely ignoring his 12 hits, 10 runs, 3 doubles, and 10 walks in those 16 games.

For most, they are not enough. “No! If he is on the roster Boone won’t be able to help himself.” Even with his career-worst errors in 2025, the skipper kept trusting him. Eventually, he hit just 1-for-15 with 11 strikeouts during the Yankees’ ALDS elimination against the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Yankees are still behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East with a 38-26 record. They lost 4 of their last 7 games. The pinstripe loyalists don’t think that manager Aaron Boone would be able to turn things around if this goes on. And with Aaron Judge sidelined indefinitely, they need others to step up.