For a player who was expected to carry on Derek Jeter’s legacy, Anthony Volpe has failed to generate the buzz that was expected of him. In 2025, he slashed .212/.272/.391 with just 19 home runs in 153 games. The year before, he slashed .243/.293/.364 with 12 home runs in 160 games. Although last season’s dip in performance was attributed to a shoulder injury, his offensive and defensive struggles have continued into 2026. As a result, that level of performance has often been labeled a liability, and one analyst didn’t hesitate to criticize the young shortstop.

“A guy like that should not be in the major leagues. That’s the interpretation of what Derek Jeter’s telling me,” Adam Schein said as per New York Post Sports’ X post. “Anthony Volpe is making these kinds of mistakes, and he’s been a bad offensive player. Look at his stats, watch him play the last four years.

“He can’t hit. Look at his batting average. Now he can’t hit, he can’t field, he can’t run, and he has no fundamentals and does some of the most insane things you’ve ever seen on a baseball field. You know what that is? That’s a minor leaguer. You can’t function with Anthony Volpe.”

After struggling spectacularly last year, Volpe had to earn his place back on the major league roster this season. Following his shoulder surgery to fix the labrum tear, Volpe began the season in the minor leagues. With Jose Caballero’s consistent performance at shortstop, Volpe’s return was looking uncertain until Caballero broke his right middle finger. It opened up a spot for Volpe as the Yankees recalled the 25-year-old from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

However, despite the Yankees’ front office’s continuous backing, Volpe continued to struggle at the plate. This season, he has hit only one home run and 13 RBIs in 45 games, as he has slashed .246/.342/.326 for an OPS of only .668.

Moreover, his fielding has also suffered significantly. Over his four seasons in the pinstripes, Volpe has committed 54 errors in total as a shortstop. His fielding percentage sits at only .970.

As the Yankees are set to advance into the postseason, Schein believes Volpe is not ideal for October baseball:

“Volpe is everything wrong with the New York Yankees, and that’s a problem. So, I think it’s incumbent upon the Yankees to get rid of him so they can move on.”

Schein’s displeasure with Volpe was revealed following Jeter’s confession about the former top prospect.

Speaking about the Yankees’ commitment to developing Volpe into a major leaguer, Jeter said:

“Every player has gone through bumps in the road. But most of the time, those bumps on the road are in the minor leagues, so it’s not something that you see daily. But the Yankees are very high on Anthony; I don’t know him that well. They’re banking on a big upside, and hopefully he puts it together soon.”

The Yankees are currently 54-42, are second in the AL East, and are expected to reach October baseball, but they need more consistency from their starting shortstop. Though Aaron Boone has used Caballero and Amed Rosario at times, it has not been a permanent solution. If Volpe does not improve in the second half, the franchise might have to rethink its decision.