Anthony Volpe took a deliberate approach to revamping his swing during a recent stint in Triple-A, aiming to regain consistency as he returns to the New York Yankees’ major league roster. After spending over three years as the Yankees’ starting shortstop, Volpe was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre last month. Rather than immediately taking the field, he spent time reviewing video footage and notes from earlier in his career to identify what adjustments he needed.
Volpe focused on understanding the mechanics behind his previous successes and missteps, striving for an honest self-assessment. “I just wanted to give myself no excuses,” he said, emphasizing that he wanted to take ownership of the process without relying heavily on outside input. By analyzing both strong and poor at-bats, he sought to isolate what changes were necessary for improvement.
One key modification involved tweaking his setup in the batter’s box—a technique derived from his minor league days, particularly from 2021, when he employed a “stomp” to help load his swing. Though he attempted to reintegrate that move at Triple-A, it did not yield the desired results. Instead, Volpe experimented with stepping back slightly with his right foot, a move similar to one used by Nolan Arendano, to enhance his timing and rhythm.
“This was just trying different stuff,” Volpe explained. “Some stuff feels good but doesn’t look good. Some stuff feels horrible and it looks good. As long as I’m accomplishing the same things, I was cool with it looking a little different.”
Volpe returned to the major league lineup playing second base for the first time in his big league career and showed promising results. In his first game back on Thursday, he contributed positively both at the plate and in the field. The following night, he went 1-for-4 with a run scored in a 6-4 victory over the New York Mets. Notably, during his initial use of the stepped-back stance in the majors, Volpe produced a three-hit game that included a grand slam, earning him a curtain call from the crowd.
Despite these encouraging signs, it remains early to determine whether the adjustments made during his time in Triple-A will translate into sustainable improvement. Volpe’s hitting has been characterized by inconsistency over his first three and a half MLB seasons, marked by notable streakiness. The demotion, however, allowed him the freedom to experiment without the immediate pressure of contributing to the Yankees’ wins every night, potentially laying the groundwork for a more steady offensive performance moving forward.