TAMPA — For the 2025 season, the Yankees are hoping they will see the 2024 postseason version of Anthony Volpe.
So far, his spring stats don’t indicate he is there yet.
Through Wednesday, Volpe had gone 5-for-28 with 10 strikeouts.
Nevertheless, spring results don’t always have much weight to them, and to Aaron Boone they have none in regard to what he expects from the third-year, 23-year-old Yankee.
“I feel like he’s ready to make another jump offensively. I really feel like that’s coming,” the manager said on Sunday at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter, Fla.
In his first playoff experience, Volpe hit .286 with an .815 OPS across 14 games that eventually ended with the Yankees losing to the Dodgers in Game 5 of the World Series.
The shortstop also had 10 walks and struck out 13 times, and significantly cut down his chase rate to 12.5 percent during the playoffs after reaching 29.3 percent during the regular season.
“His swing is different. His moves is what it needs to be,” Boone said. “Strength. Power. Now experience. Success — consistent success he had in that month of the playoffs. He had good at-bat after good at-bat. I think he’s just started with an improved move at the plate that he carried into the offseason, continued to hone, and I think you’re going to see closer to that than we did some of the struggles we’ve seen.”
Between the end of the regular season and the playoffs, Volpe had consistent days in the cage to make minor adjustments to his swing — adjustments that made him feel more comfortable and athletic in the batter’s box. He hasn’t tried to change anything since the end of the postseason.
“I think I’m just doing more consistent moves and I feel really good,” Volpe told The Post on Sunday. “So, when I got back in the game, I felt really good about how the season ended. Got to lock in on some things and got to build upon them. So, I think it can be even better. So, controlling the zone, having good at-bats, everything else should follow. I feel like I’m in a good spot to allow myself to do that.”
The lifelong Yankees fan will be chasing those postseason numbers while out for a big Year 3.
“I feel like it’s just a level of confidence to me now just from going through stuff that you’re maybe not able to get it without going through everything,” Volpe said. “It’s just an exciting feeling.”
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