Aaron Boone knows a thing or two about what Anthony Volpe is going through.
As a sophomore at USC, Boone committed 18 errors in his first 18 games, the Yankees manager recalled Wednesday.
“I was a wreck,” said Boone, a former third baseman. “Anthony’s not even close to that.”
Boone said he rebounded that season by working through his defensive issues and continuing to play.
He believes the same strategy will work for Volpe, who remained in the Yankees’ starting lineup, playing shortstop, on Wednesday night against the Tampa Bay Rays in the Bronx.
Volpe committed two errors in Tuesday night’s 7-5 win over Tampa, giving him 15 on the season. That tied him with Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz for the MLB lead.
After that win, Boone declined to say whether he thought Volpe might benefit mentally from a few days off. Oswald Peraza, who has struggled offensively, and Amed Rosario, who has totaled 15 appearances at shortstop since 2024, are the Yankees’ other options.
But on Wednesday, Boone made his stance clear.
“I have not wanted to do that or decided to do that,” Boone said. “Clearly, he’s gone through some struggles here, and in some key moments not made some plays. I think Anthony’s super tough, and I think he’s wired for this.”
Volpe won a Gold Glove in 2023 and was a finalist last season. He did not commit more than 17 errors in either year.
But this season, Volpe entered Wednesday ranking 12th among MLB shortstops in Defensive Runs Saved (1); 19th in Fielding Run Value (-2); and 19th in Outs Above Average (-3).
Last year, Volpe’s 14 Outs Above Average were the second most among American League shortstops and tied for fifth best in the majors at the position.
“I’ve never really experienced something like this, but I’ve got really good guys around me,” Volpe said after Tuesday’s win, during which he homered and recorded an RBI single.
“I know what I’m capable of, so it’s obviously frustrating. It’s not discouraging, and I know the standard that I have for myself. I’m just going to keep pushing until I just prove it to myself every day.”
Boone said he was not worried that Volpe, 24, would be affected by boos from the Yankee Stadium crowd. Dressed in a shirt featuring numerous Yankee greats, Boone noted that each of those famous faces was likely booed at one point.
The manager also remembered Mariano Rivera being booed in 2003, shortly after Boone was traded to the Yankees before that year’s deadline.
“My message to [Volpe] is, ‘You’re really good at this,’ and that’s reality,” Boone said. “He’s a Gold Glove player. He makes plays that people can’t make. He’s a playmaker out there. He’s made some mistakes on some balls that he needs to nail down, but it happens to guys at different points in their career.”
Boone lauded Volpe’s pregame preparation and said the Yankees would “work right there with him to get through it, too.”
“I believe his best days are in front of him and beyond,” Boone said.
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