1-7 in extra innings.

"Sanchez told reporters after the game that he wouldn't take back the decision to try and throw Murakami out, even with the third out at the plate, but that he simply needed to make a better throw. Aaron Boone agreed."

This is a stupid thing to say and a misunderstanding of risk vs. reward.

 Also, watch the play again.

A perfect throw and the runners is easily safe. You didn't trick anyone. You say that you thought the runner was slow getting back to third base. You were obviously wrong.

I don't get it.

Dominguez can't track a fly ball, Dominguez can't hit the cutoff man, Volpe doesn't know how to field ground balls or pop ups, Volpe doesn't know how to turn double plays, Volpe can't catch pop ups.

Nobody seems to be able to judge the speed of opposing baserunners.

Do Yankee minor leaguers practice fielding? Do they practice baseball? 

 

Watching the Yankee catchers is like playing a video game with a glitch.

Just catch the ball and throw it back to the pitcher.

The basics.

The 0-for-whatevers and the strikeouts with RISP and the inability to throw runners out? We're used to it.

How about just catch the ball and throw it back to the pitcher?

No catcher's interferences, no passed balls, no giving away ballgames with two outs in the bottom of the 11th.

Then McMahon is like, "I should have blocked it." Yeah. You should have.

Also, when you endlessly sees this self-sabotage, at some point it reflects poorly on the manager, the coaches, and the culture.

 

I remember when Suzyn Waldman would praise Anthony Rizzo for his well-timed visits to the mound to calm down the pitcher.

“I’m sure in a lot of ways, it weighs on you when you’re capable of more offensively,” Boone said. “But especially at that position, you’ve got to be able to separate. And he’s done a good job of that.”

I mean, sure. I hope an opposite field 430-foot home run gets him started. There is nowhere to go but up.

As for his supposed defensive prowess, the dubious stats back it up. The defensive WAR is high.

Is he throwing out runners trying to steal bases? No. May not be his fault.

Is he calling a good game? I don't know. When the Yankees have good pitchers on the mound, he probably calls a good game. When they have Fernando Cruz on the mound, he suddenly instructs the pitcher to walk a lot of batters.

He doesn't seem to be too good at blocking pitches.

In any case, there is no argument that can possibly be made that his defense compensates for his offense.

The Yankee Manager is an encouraging guy who will never bad mouth his players. "At least he's not as bad defensively as he is offensively" is quite an amazing thing to say. 

Bednar has not allowed a run since May 18th.

I think it's 22 2/3 innings in a row without an earned run.

I don't ever see this streak mentioned in the headlines or in the game recaps.

I suppose it isn't going to get much worse than this.

That's one way to look at it.

I also think "isolated nightmare" is bad enough. But that's just me. 

The Yankee offense scored one run in nine innings. That run was an unearned run.

Cole was great. Two earned runs in six innings.

Sure, the two-run home run was the pivotal play. I think Boone will make that decision 100 times out of 100. No offense to Headrick or the Yankee bullpen.

The offense lost the game for the Yankees. Obviously.

Which brings us to the lingering question: Why is Austin Wells still on this team?

His function is to start the game behind the plate, go 0-for-2, and then be replaced by a pinch hitter as soon as possible? 

For all intents and purposes, the Yankees don't even have a starting catcher. 

It's the New York Yankees we're talking about here. They're just going to keep putting this guy out there and hope he doesn't come to bat at an important juncture in the game? A player whose OPS+ is 41?

High praise indeed.

The Dodgers must be thrilled to learn that Cam Schlittler has concluded that they are one of the top three teams in MLB at this time.

 

In Praise of David Bednar

No earned runs in 17 straight appearances. No earned runs in his last 19 IP. No earned runs since May 18th.

In Praise of Anthony Volpe

His strikeout rate is down to 22.2% and his walk rate is way up to 13.1%.

A .246 batting average isn't bad.

A .346 on-base percentage is excellent.

I can envision usefulness in a player like that. Bat ninth, get on base and steal some bases, improve your approach with RISP somehow ...

On the other hand, he's still a lousy fielder.

But I actually can observe and appreciate an improved approach that makes him a more valuable player. 

Why? Because the Yankees are unreliable narrators.

He is also a bad defensive catcher.

So ... 

Kodai Senga is the foreign pitcher the Mets have been searching for.

Mike Lupica doesn't write about the Yankees anymore because the Mets are the Kings of New York.

This was solidified about a year and a half ago, when the Mets lost to the Dodgers in six games while the Yankees lost to the Dodgers in five games.

This proved that the Mets were better than the Yankees and no one should pay attention to the Yankees.

So stop writing about the Yankees. 

But the Mets signed Juan Soto.

In 2024, the Mets lost to the Dodgers in the playoffs in six games, while the Yankees lost to the Dodgers in the playoffs in five games.

According to Mike Lupica, this is how you knew the Mets were better than the Yankees.

Which has been proven to be quite accurate.

Jynx

Screwed up two fly balls today.

I'm tired of hearing about it.

Just shag some flies. A lot of them. The outfield instructor is either incompetent or lying. Not really lying, I know ... he's just being publicly encouraging, or whatever.

There is no reason for anyone to be encouraged by Dominguez in the outfield. There is no reason he can't improve his defense. But he isn't going to.

I think Volpe has changed his approach for the better.

Just one home run in 81 at-bats, but a very high .371 on-base percentage.

Since Derek Jeter retired 15 years ago, let's talk about Derek Jeter.

"Since Derek Jeter retired, the Yankees have deployed 15 different players at shortstop, ranging from Didi Gregorius to this year’s tandem of Volpe and José Caballero. None have lasted more than four years, and it really felt as if the team wanted Volpe to be the next organizational success story and Jeter’s heir apparent. The team even gave Volpe the No. 11 jersey, which, considering the amount of low jersey numbers retired by the franchise, was seen as a sign of their belief in him"

There is a difference between data and information.

Counting up the number of shortstops the Yankees have played in the past 15 years doesn't really help evaluate Volpe's performance on the baseball field.

His uniform number is also not relevant.

You sound like Dave Sims. 

 

"The Yankees have legitimate World Series aspirations, and it’s becoming increasingly clear that Volpe isn’t a player who's going to enhance their chances of competing for a championship."

Correct. Though he has oddly walked a bit more this season. Just trying to be fair.

The Yankees also had legitimate World Series "aspirations" last year, and the year before that. That has nothing to do with Volpe's effectiveness, does it?

If the Yankees were a fourth-place team, what would be the reason for a major league team to put a guy at shortstop every day who isn't good at playing shortstop in the major leagues?

 

"He’s gotten measurably worse since he debuted in 2023, but the organization continues to give him chance after chance."

True. Welcome to the party.

 

"New York's brain trust must come to the realization that Volpe’s ceiling isn’t as high as the franchise had once projected—and with top prospect George Lombard Jr. looking more like the shortstop of the future in the Bronx, Volpe will likely wind up merely being a bridge shortstop until Lombard gets his big-league promotion."

Nice! George Lombard isn't actually Jeter 2.0 -- he's Jeter 4.0. Gleyber is Jeter 2.0 and Volpe is Jeter 3.0.

Also, I think the "brain trust" already knows Volpe isn't the answer. That's why he isn't really the starting shortstop anymore.

Love Paul Goldschmidt.

The two-out RBI singles most of all.

Bellinger winning the game in the tenth inning by playing pepper instead of striking out playing hero ball.

These two represent a different approach. It's how winning's done.

Homegrown is not an actual thing.

I don't care.

I care about Ws and Ls:

"For the Bronx Bombers, it’s a bit of a divergence from what’s happened in recent years. The Yankees may have envisioned having a core of homegrown players who could grow alongside Judge, but Gary Sanchez, Gleyber Torres and Luis Severino never fulfilled that promise, and the next wave of prospects -- Anthony Volpe, Austin Wells and Jasson Dominguez -- has yet to produce a star.

As a result, the Yankees had to lean heavily on free-agent signings like Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón and Max Fried and trade acquisitions like Juan Soto, Cody Bellinger and Giancarlo Stanton to support Judge, who is now in his 11th season."

Clint Frazier and Greg Bird also never met that promise. The one guy with the same bat speed as Mike Trout and the other guy with the same batting stroke as John Olerud.

I think it's possible that the Yankee Hype Machine operates in hyperdrive, but the main reason that most Yankee prospects don't work out is because most prospects don't work out.

It's very satisfying to see Schlittler and Rice develop into legit superstars who seem to care about their craft.

It doesn't really matter where they came from, does it? 

 

I have no particular regard for Torres or Severino. The Yankees are doing fine without them.

But to describe them as busts just isn't fair.

They're in Cooperstown when compared to can't-misses such as Jesus Montero and  Eric Duncan.

Austin Wells Letting Yankees Down.

He has five RBIs. He has three home runs. How is this even possible?

Aside from three solo home runs, he has two RBIs.

He is 2-for-26 with RISP. That's how!

He's like a game on The Price Is Right.

"I'm Austin Wells, and I'm a professional baseball player. Guess my batting average. Lower. Lower. Lower. Lower."

"I guess .000, Bob."

"Higher." 

.174 is a special number.

The Yankees have two catchers currently batting .174.

Are they going to do something about this?

The old baseball saying is that it's bad if you can't hit your weight. What if you can't hit half your weight? 

It's a bitter pill to swallow, I suppose ...

... though I don't expect Yankee fans to wear anti-Weaver tee-shirts and dramatically turn their back on him.

It's not really very shocking, is it?

Do you know the Yankees? The New York Yankees? The best way to get the team to score zero runs is to just walk the bases loaded with no outs. Dreams of Grand Slams will override all other considerations.

Also, the best way to score against the Yankees is to stand at home plate and not swing the bat.

It's one thing to get three runs on one hit. A walk, a hbp, a three-run home run.

It's quite another when that one hit is a single.

Carlos Rodon finds a way every time, doesn't he?

It's a warning from Bill Madden.

I don't fully buy into the Rays, but that's just an opinion.

The Rays have confounded the Yankees for most of the decade. The Rays are the Yankees' true rival at this time. Not the Red Sox, not the Blue Jays, not the Orioles, not the Mets.

But what's the warning?

Are the Yankees not going to make the playoffs this year? 

I never thought I would be wistful for Kyle Higashioka or Wil Nieves.

What is this garbage?

A focused and intentional strategy that yields beneficial results.

Caballero is batting .348 with RISP.

The anti-Volpe.

Sure, it's small sample size nonsense to some degree, but look more closely.

Two strikeouts in 23 at-bats with RISP.

It's a strategy. 

When you've lost Xavier Scruggs, you've lost everyone who pays attention to the opinions of Xavier Scruggs.

Felz Stat of the Day

Austin Wells has five RBIs.

Wells has a lot of walks for some reason, but overall pitiful production from the catchers. 

"Fair or not."

A weekend sweep by the Rockies shortly following a 12-game losing streak shortly following the most disappointing season in Mets history?

Fair. 

I've got a Jose Cabellero update for ya.

.280 batting average, 3 HRs, .746 OPS, 1.1 WAR, 10 stolen bases, 12 runs, 11 RBIs, .333 BA, with RISP, .286 BA with RISP and two outs, and zero postgame press conferences  sheepishly and wearily explaining why he wasn't more aggressive fielding the ground ball in the ninth inning.

Cruel April for Yankees has them in first place.

This guy's column is truly ossified, frozen in amber for 25 years at least.

"The Mets have a long season remaining" as they are in the midst of their worst winning streak in 22 years and their manager is going to get fired tomorrow morning.

Even Mr. Met is like, "what is this guy talking about? Is he paid by our PR department?"

But even if Lupica legitimately clings to hope because "it ain't over 'til it's over" and he can dismiss the slide as a short-sample-size blip for a truly great Mets team ... what do the Yankees have to do with this?

It's just completely impossible for him to give the Yankees credit.

It's impossible for the Mets to just exist as a thing without the endless comparisons to the Yankees.

The Mets may be in last place, but the season is long.

The Mets may be in last place, but Jazz Chisholm has no home runs, what do you think about that? 

Where is the vitriol from the grizzled New York gumshoe who used to work his leads by day and do body shots with Jimmy Breslin by night?

Why does this dude love the Mets so much, anyway?

Disappointment is when expectations are not met.

The 2024 Mets are the most disappointing team in Mets history.

The Soto signing following an NLCS appearance set World Series or Bust expectations. They missed the playoffs.

The 2024 Yankees won 94 games and lost in the playoffs.

Not the same.

When presented as equivalents, it's a lie written by a bad reporter who doesn't know anything about baseball.

The entire premise isn't accurate, anyway. Big Baseball Town was a nice idea, but one of the teams never lives up to their side of the bargain.

Yeah, the Yankees are in a championship slump. It's brand exceeds the product for sure.

But Lupica gets aroused reliving the Mets' 2025 NLCS loss to the Dodgers ... a series in which the Dodgers outscored the Mets by 20 runs ... because the Mets managed to win two games.

While the Yankees only won one game vs. the Dodgers. In the World Series. Which the Mets weren't good enough to make it to.

Bully for the Mets.

The Mets lost to the Royals in the 2015 World Series. The Yankees lost in the wild card round that year, to Houston, but the Yankees had a better season than the Mets. Because the Yankees would have beaten the Royals in the ALCS, or at least lost to the Royals in seven games instead of six. 

Frustration is growing.

It's so bad for the Mets, it's a combination of problems, a plethora or problems, and a myriad of problems.

I always used myriad as an adjective. "Myriad problems." I mean, it can be both. It's a matter of preference. It turns out that Jackson Stone prefers to use it as a noun. 

Very exciting play.

With the runners going and the aggressiveness of the baserunners?

They're still basically a homer-centric, all or nothing team, but it's also obvious there's more attention to the nothing.

I mean ... you know what I mean.

A noticeable effort to be more aggressive on the basepaths and put the ball in play. 

I just think he's pouty because he wasn't named Captain.

Ben Rice practiced infield defense and it shows.

Jasson Dominguez should do the same.

I also can't imagine turning four clutch double plays in one game with Volpe at short.

Potential.

He isn't a good hitter and he isn't a good fielder. He was given 400 at-bats last season and he didn't hit well enough to earn a starting spot on the team.

"As easy as it is to suggest that the Yankees should trade Domínguez now, what would be the point? Very rarely do you see an impact player traded either in spring training or in April, and the Yankees aren’t — or at least, shouldn’t — give up Domínguez for pennies on the dollar.

For the sake of conversation, let’s assume that Grisham or Stanton needs to go on the injured list at some point. Naturally, Domínguez would be the next man up. But what happens if Grisham returns to his 2024 form, or his power stroke suddenly vanishes? Would the Yankees realistically move Grisham back to the bench and name Domínguez the starting left fielder again?

At this stage, the best thing the Yankees can do is wait until June 1. By that point, we should have an idea of which teams are either out of the playoff race or are open to trading players who no longer fit in their plans, as the Red Sox did with Rafael Devers last June.

All of this is an unfortunate saga that the Yankees brought upon both themselves and Domínguez. He’ll play the entire season at 23 years old, and he’s under team control through 2031. Yet, does anyone really genuinely believe that the Yankees will course correct and get things right at any point this year? I certainly don’t."

I don't understand any of this.

The Yankees are concerned about the state of the Yankees, not the state of Jasson Dominguez's career.

It's very likely Dominguez gets lots of playing time with the Yankees in 2026. Injuries or a major slump by one of the starters. Trent Grisham isn't Mickey Mantle. Before that, Dominguez would help his cause by playing well in the minors and shagging some flies.

What does Rafael Devers have to do with anything? The Red Sox traded a good player and the Yankees are unwilling to pull the trigger? Maybe so, but Dominguez isn't ... you know ... a good player.

He might be one day, but "potential" won't get too much in the marketplace. 

 

Judge is the best. If he's asked about the World Series, he has to talk about the World Series.

But no one has the ability to live in the moment.

The regular season is so boring for most Yankee fans and players, they're already talking about the World Series. Half the WFAN callers are fast forwarding to draft picks and 2030 free agent signings.

The regular season begins Wednesday night in San Francisco.

Two months ago, it was -20 degree wind chill.

I can't wait for Opening Day. 

"Anthony Volpe looms" is one of the least intimidating things a MLB shortstop can hear.

"Concede."

Jasson Dominguez might get demoted to AAA.

That must have been quite an inquisition to get that shocking piece of information out of the Yankees.

But according to Mike Lupica, Juan Soto is the biggest storyline.

In fact, most erudite baseball fans don't even pay attention to the New York Yankees anyway. It's for the tourists.

"Move the Needle," he says.

"It’s a deal the Yankees had to get done. After standing pat and failing to make any major moves thus far into the offseason, it truly began to feel as if it was Bellinger or bust for New York. Fortunately, they’ve managed to retain their top free agent, but does his return truly enhance the team’s chances of winning a World Series?"

You're wrong!

Bellinger returning is important!

 

"Don’t get me wrong. Bellinger returning is important. But the Yankees are effectively back to where they were last season when they were routed in the ALDS by the rival Blue Jays. As it stands, the organization will trot out the same core in 2026 as they did in 2025, while many of their competitors have re-tooled and gotten better."

The Blue Jays lost Bichette, if that helps.

 

"Bellinger’s return seems like the absolute bare minimum for New York. GM Brian Cashman better have a few more moves up his sleeves, because as it stands now, the Yankees don’t look like the best team in the American League, let alone a real threat to dethrone the Dodgers."

So who's the best team in the AL?

I mean, it's just a pretty vague and eye-opening statement to say "many of their competitors have re-tooled and gotten better" without describing who in the AL has "re-tooled and gotten better."

Supposing the Blue Jays were the best team in the AL in 2025 ... they made the World Series and beat the Yankees head to head in the regular season and the playoffs, of course.

Have the Blue Jays moved the needle? If you REALLY like Dylan Cease that much, then go on record and say it.

Who else is in the running?

The Mariners, the Rangers, the Astros, the Red Sox, the Tigers ... have they really re-tooled and moved the needle in a positive direction? "Running back" Tarik Skubal doesn't count.

I like Pete Alonso well enough. Is he going to be worth 20 extra wins for the Orioles?

 

The 2026 Yankees are not an exciting narrative. They are going to slog their way through the regular season with 90+ wins and likely lose in the playoffs again. Same reasons as always. Though maybe this year they catch a few breaks and emerge victorious.

As for Bellinger, he is precisely the type of player that might help get them over the hump.

 

 

PED usage doesn't bother me as much as it bothers many people.

Pettitte has a case. He's 100 games over .500 for his career.

But there are dozens and dozens of players who are more deserving and have waited longer and ... obviously ... if the voters are suddenly forgiving of PED usage in Pettitte's case, I think it's just because he charmed them with an "aw, shucks" persona.

Anthony Volpe hit a grand slam in the World Series.

I mean, sure.

If you're picking a bounce-back candidate for the Yankees ... and you don't include players coming back from the IL, such as Gerrit Cole ... who else are you going to go with?:

"Manager Aaron Boone acknowledges he’d like to see Volpe get on base more consistently, but the Yankees point to his age, work ethic and postseason résumé -- including a World Series grand slam in 2024 -- as indicators that brighter days are still ahead."

As you ought to know by now, none of these factors are reason for optimism. 

I fully expect him to be better in 2026. He isn't going to be worse. 

But it's just like, "he's young and he hit a grand slam in the World Series and also has had occasional good games in the playoffs."

I mean, come on now. Are any of these things actually indicators that brighter days are  ahead? Is it really necessary for me to list a whole bunch of mediocre young players who had big games in the playoffs?

When Brian Doyle was 24 years old, he batted .438 in the World Series. Brighter days were not ahead for Brian Doyle on the way to a career WAR of -1.2.

I think the World Series grand slam was the worst thing to happen to Volpe. Similar to the home run he hit in Game One of the Wild Card series last year. He seems to have gotten addicted to the feeling and wants to hit a home run every time. That's how you end up striking out 11 times in 15 at-bats. 

 

Anthony Volpe has a nice family.

I don't even disagree with what ARod is saying. Volpe is an extreme example of an all-or-nothing modern hitting philosophy. Also:

“He really is an incredible young man with a great family and the organization has fallen in love with him."

That's cool. 

His dad should be the emcee at the company picnic.

Volpe can be a participant in the potato sack race while the starting players sit it out.

And you have nothing better to do than write about it.

Some people lack self awareness.

But I suppose he did recognize that, yeah.

Most Yankee fans didn't want him back on the team anyway. 

On account of they won the World Series.

"The Dodgers are bad for baseball" crowd.

The tactic is so tedious and stupid.

Create a non-existent position and then tear it down.

"Just as everyone feared or sneered, the Los Angeles Dodgers are champions. Again. In what some forecasted as a harbinger of doom, the sinister strategy of employing the best baseball player on the planet along with a generous number of his nearly equal peers proved effective. It’s not fair, some people will say in the coming months about the fact that the team broadly believed to be the best ultimately won it all."

In the world of hyperlinks, "everyone" and "some people" should have examples of the widespread existence of such sentiments.

"To be a little less sanctimonious and a lot less poetic: People take issue with Dodgers because of their payroll. Including the penalties for blowing past the various tax thresholds, the Dodgers paid more than half a billion dollars for their rings this season. Small market owners would tell you the Dodgers should be cheaper. If the Dodgers didn’t try so hard at roster construction it would be easier to keep up. Is that how competition works?"

"People."

"People" have lots of opinions, but there just isn't a huge anti-Dodgers fever sweeping the country. 

Maybe they're watching Mystery Science Theater 3000 reruns.

Hey, man, you're the clown who was talking about a Subway Series in June. "The '86 Mets 2.0" and all that nonsense.

Fundamentally, the reason your predictions are usually wrong is because you seldom know what you're talking about. 

Who will be the hero?

Funny, this is my pick as well:

Isiah Kiner-Falefa, INF

With Bo Bichette playing at less than 100 percent due to a compromised left knee, there’s a decent chance we see Kiner-Falefa in Game 7. And while he hasn’t hit well in this World Series so far, IKF did hit .333 with a pair of doubles in the seven-game ALCS victory over the Mariners. And he has some significant playoff experience, having played in 20 playoff games between the Yankees in 2022 and the Blue Jays this postseason.

Sans the power, Kiner-Falefa has demonstrated some of what has made the 2025 Blue Jays so successful at the plate -- he makes frequent contact (15.1% whiff rate during the regular season) and doesn’t strike out often (16.8% K rate in the regular season). If there’s one thing Toronto has shown during these playoffs, it’s that putting the ball in play and putting pressure on the opposing defense can pay dividends.

If it comes down to a big moment late in the game when putting the ball in play could be huge, Kiner-Falefa could find himself in the spotlight with a chance to etch his name into Blue Jays lore.

-- Manny Randhawa

 

"Shut up and ground out to the second baseman with runners in scoring position."

The Star-Ledger doesn't need to pay attention to Mark Teixeira. It isn't sports coverage.

Just my periodic reminder that Yankee fans ran Clay Holmes out of town.

Not to mention IKF, who starred in the ALCS turning confident doubles plays and delivering a pivotal two-strike hit in Game Seven.

Luke Weaver was a fun ride while it lasted. It was a mirage. He is the same as most relief pitchers. He is closer-quality unhittable for very brief periods of time. He's more Chad Green than Mariano Rivera.

Mr. Met Chris Bassitt finally gets a chance to get a ring with ... ummm ... let me look him up online to find out what team he's on.

Scherzer was with the Mets for 15 minutes.

Good article, though. 

They really changed their facial hair policy because of this guy.

"Where" is the least of my concerns.

Winning is fun. Losing is not fun. It really doesn't matter where it happens. 

Please don't talk about the Yankees. You don't know what you're talking about.

The 2025 Mets are going to challenge the 1986 Mets.

It's basically just a jinx. If Lupica has a prediction about a baseball outcome, bet the ranch on the opposite.

Bob Nightengale knows what is going to happen in a three-game series.

I think the Dodgers are sleeping giants and deserve the benefit of the doubt. But a few bad pitches to Soto or Alonso or Lindor and suddenly your entire season is sunk. A bad umpire's call. An unexpected fielding error at a bad time. A relief pitcher wipes sweat off his forehead with the bases loaded and it's a balk.

It would be funny. To me, it would be funny.

I don't even believe in the "Kings of New York" story line and I pay more attention to the Yankees than the Mets.

But with all the preseason and early season hype, it would be hilarious and just desserts if they missed the playoffs.

I also think they'll make the playoffs. Then they might even win the World Series. 

The Hall of Fame of Three-Pitch Strikeouts?

Stanton is playing much better this season than I expected and I look optimistically towards another season of Playoff Stanton.

But the Hall of Fame? 

The Hall of Fame of What?

The Hall of Fame of One-Trick Ponies? 

 

Indefensible.

For one thing, fans never need to relax.

Fans are fanatical and pro athletes should get down on their knees and thank the Lord we have an illogical passion for this stuff.

Furthermore, Sabathia's analysis is just provably incorrect:

" It’s hard to develop young talent here. Just because of the demand, right? We’re trying to win the World Series every year. You don’t have time for guys to go through growing pains.' "

Three full seasons is approaching veteran status. It isn't just growing pains.

 

"' If we were able to, as a fan base, as a city, let these kids go through whatever they’re going to go through.' " 

Players are judged by their performance on the field.

More than any other young player can remember, Volpe has been given a chance to prove himself.

 

" 'The game’s hard to play, man. It’s very difficult.' "

Correct. Playing professional baseball is difficult. Anthony Volpe has met his match.

He is unable to perform this particularly difficult task to the level of highly-paid professionals who are competing against him every game.

 

"Sabathia said that phenomenon — and the fact that it's impossible for Yankees shortstops to escape comparisons to Jeter — is what has fueled the negativity surrounding Volpe."

Nobody said it was easy to be a shortstop in the major leagues. The comparisons to HOFer Derek Jeter are foolish indeed. You may as well compare Greg Bird to Lou Gehrig.

As for the post-Jeter Yankee shortstops, that's also a cop out. It isn't the fan's fault. If you can't do it, then you can't do it. 

 

 

 

It's the umpire's fault.

"When you’re making good pitches, which I was, not getting those calls really changes the course of an at-bat,” Williams said. “Obviously, Correa hit the double, so I kind of had my back against the wall right away. Made some really good pitches to Sánchez, which [Walsh] missed two in that at-bat. You just keep going, right? But at the end of the day, that changes outcomes. I should have had Sánchez [who walked on five pitches] 0-2 instead of 2-1. ... The 2-0 pitch was a strike,” the right-hander said. “That turns into a 2-2 count instead of a 3-1 count.”

Frankly, given Williams's lack of professionalism, I'm surprised he understands the importance of throwing strikes. Though throughout his rant he displays a confusion about arithmetic, at least he understands the theoretical bedrock principle that strikes are good and balls are bad, from a pitcher's perspective.

From a pitcher's perspective, home runs are also bad. Runs. Hitting batters with pitches. 

So maybe there's a long way to go before he's a professional pitcher, but it's baby steps. 

He makes good pitches like Volpe makes good swings.

Volpe's 0-for-3 with 3 strikeouts was one of the most promising 0-for-3s I've ever seen, just given the subjective quality of his swings.

Same goes for Williams. If you ignore the two hits, the four walks, the four runs, and the 5.60 ERA for the season ... if you are fixated on the outcomes rather than the artistic aesthetic ... you may miss out on the true greatness of Devin Williams.

You're thinking about it too much.

The Yankees deserve blame for continuing to play a bad ballplayer; for throwing good money after bad; for organizational delusions.

But I see no reason to think that a trip to the minor leagues would have made Volpe "much better."

I see no reason to think that a disciplinarian manager would have somehow given Volpe the ability to throw the ball to the first baseman. 

I see no reason to think that Volpe's psychological reactions to managerial scrutiny are a bigger problem than his basic physical inability to play major league baseball.

Also, it doesn't matter where you place the blame. No one is solely blaming Volpe. Every fan who's angry at Volpe is also angry at the Yankees for acting as if nothing is wrong.

Same goes for Wells, by the way.

These young players at shorstop and catcher are disastrously bad.

So much for committing to the young players.

Just really, really good swings. Like, the best swings I've ever seen in an 0-for-4 game by a player in a 1-for-32 slump and with a season batting average of .206.

A drill down on a bad play.

"It also included him laying down a questionable sacrifice bunt in the fourth inning with one out and the Yankees trailing by three runs."

I would love to see Volpe sacrifice more often. I've said this many times.

He has a preposterously low number of sac bunts in his career given his inability to hit with RISP and his position in the lineup.

If he's going to be in the starting lineup (less likely as his performance continues to diminish), then just bat him ninth and force him to sac bunt as often as possible. Stop swinging for the fences every time, little man.

The errors are bad. The on-base percentage is bad. The high number of strikeouts is bad.

If Volpe was a smart, clutch, instinctive player, then he may add value beyond the box score. The intangibles that Yankee fans claim to understand so well.

But he's one of the stupidest players I've ever seen.

A sac bunt in the fourth inning trailing by three runs ... WITH ONE OUT! ... is not "questionable." That's what pitchers did before the universal DH. Only pitchers and only before the universal DH.

If he was bunting for a hit and missed, sometimes that happens. It makes no sense given his 0-for-career success rate bunting for base hits (as far as I know).

If he didn't know how many outs there were, that's a ridiculous trademark of the 2025 Yankees.

But what seems most likely is that he knew how many outs there were, he knew the score, he knew the game situation, and still thought it was a good idea.

It's not "questionable" and it's not "aggressive." It's stupid. It's really bad. I might refer to it as Little League stupid, except I think the Little Leaguers are smarter than this.

Also, it adds up when it's day after day and every routine ground ball to shortstop is a stressful adventure for everyone. It's rare to see the starting Yankees shortstop charge a routine ground ball, field it cleanly, rhythmically step into the routine throw to first base and hit the first baseman in the chest.

So it's not even the throw itself, which is a physical error that is going to happen from time to time.

It's not even the frequency of these ridiculous physical errors which indicate that this guy just isn't cut out to play in the major leagues.

It's the 50 or 60 bad plays throughout the season that don't count as errors.

It's this "fielder's choice" that had the Red Sox baserunners openly laughing at him.

"Every once is a while, Coney, you just out-think the play."

Who?

Who's "you" in this offhand comment? 

Who does this, Paul O'Neill?

I don't have to reflexively compare Volpe to the HOFer Jeter. I know you did that right away, yes? "Jeter would have never made a mental error like that."

This is true.

A high school backup shortstop would not have made a mental error like that.

Maybe wiffle ball in the backyard where you could get an out by throwing the ball at the baserunner? You aggressively try to peg the baserunner in the back before he or she gets back to the lawn chair that is second base?

This is the level of baseball aptitude we're dealing with, and this guy has been the starting shortstop for the Yankees for three seasons. 

 

 

That's a made-up stat.

Betcha don't know the record for number of Red Sox rookies to hit a home run vs. the Yankees in one season:

"He became the fourth Red Sox rookie (Marcelo Mayer, Kristian Campbell and Carlos Narvaez) to homer vs. the Yankees this year, Boston's most in a season since 2014."

So ... two pitches. In two games.

"I’m trying to throw it down and away there, and missed middle -- and obviously, he did what he did,” Williams said. “This game and the last one, it was really one pitch that hurt me. But that’s the difference between winning and losing sometimes, and I can’t let that happen.”

I mean, if you take away three or four bad plays ... let's say three ... if you took away three bad plays that everyone noticed just because he plays on the Yankees, Anthony Volpe is a gold glove winner in 2025.

If you eliminate all the bad pitches he threw, Dale Mohorcic is in the Hall of Fame.

If you took, like, ten losses and turned them into wins, then the Yankees have the best record in baseball.

Volpe rules, Devin Williams rules, and the Yankees rule. 

Just no.

At first, I thought Jazz forgot how many outs there were. I was mistaken. Instead, Jazz was anticipating an intentional drop and then a 4-3-rundown double play.

But here's the problem, Jazz and Boone and anyone else who defends this ridiculous baserunning.

If you think the second baseman is going to drop the ball on purpose, then your job is to just stay at first base.

In what scenario were you getting to second base?

I don't think you know the meaning of the word inexcusable.

It seems far-fetched, but I think there's a possibility that the players dislike their manager and subconsciously embarrass him.

It's more likely just bad modern baseball.

A fixation on home runs and strikeouts at the exclusion of all other skills.

While I don't defend Boone and believe the "nice guy" experiment didn't work, I also don't see how he can punish his players for mental gaffes. There are only 26 players on the team, right? Who's the error-free Charlie Hustle on the roster who's left?

So let's say Paul Goldschmidt has his head in the game, throws to the proper base, tries not to strike out with runners in scoring position, always knows how many outs there are, doesn't lose the ball in the lights, can field pop ups and ground balls, doesn't make the third out at third base, and slides when he is supposed to slide.

Paul Goldschmidt can't play all nine positions on the field. 

If only it were true.

Anthony Volpe had two walks in 97 plate appearances in July.

Which I would have thought was impossible. Eduardo Nunez walked more often than that. Mariano Rivera walked more often than that in his limited plate appearances standing far away from home plate with a bat on his shoulder.

"[Trea Turner's] slash line before the ovation was .235/.290/.368, and he only had 10 home runs and 34 RBIs. Then, superfan Jon McCann came up with the idea to voice support for Turner instead of booing him.

So on Aug. 4 that year, Turner received a standing ovation — and it did wonders for the shortstop. 

After the ovation, Turner slashed .364/.398/.754 with 11 home runs and 31 RBIs."

It's a great idea and I'm sure it's going to work.

I'm pretty sure that there is nothing the fans can do and there's nothing the manager can do at this point.

Volpe is convinced that swinging hard is what he needs to do. He will sacrifice all aspects of his game for a decent amount of home runs.

Or maybe there is something the manager can do. Bench him every time he hits a home run and move him up in the batting order every time he successfully executes a sacrifice bunt.

Because Anthony Volpe isn't actually a grown up professional baseball player. He's a social experiment. Let's all participate in the social experiment of pondering what actions we can take to heal Anthony Volpe's damaged psyche.

Hey, I know.

Pretend the first baseman's chest is your greatest fear. Visualize it. Then the baseball is a healing baseball and the only way to banish your greatest fear is by striking it with the baseball. So throw the baseball really hard at the first baseman's chest.

As a bonus, throwing the ball to the first baseman's chest is totally a thing that shortstops regularly do. The baseball objective being throwing the batter out at first base.

Actions speak louder than words.

Yankees won, Volpe had a good game at the plate.

Let me put an emphasis on "former": 

"I gotta make those plays, obviously," the former Gold Glove winner said. "That's about it."

"I've never really experienced something like this," he continued. "But we've got really good guys around me. I consider myself—I know what I'm capable of, so. It's obviously frustrating but it's not discouraging, and I know the standard that I have for myself. I'm just gonna keep pushing until I just prove it to myself every day. Every day's a new day and that's just what I'm gonna do."

Fans and writers are often appeased by contrition. 

Volpe is probably a nice guy from a nice family. Though it comes up so often in his defense, it's quite awkward.

All of this aside, what does it mean to come clean?

Does he take 500 ground balls per day? Can he work on his arm strength? If it's the yips, can he get unrecognizable Chuck Knoblauch as a mentor?

Does he actually take action to get better? Or does he just talk about it?

 

Cashman's 2016 deadline trades.

The Yankees were sellers! The Yankees almost made the World Series in 2017! What a winning strategy! Let's do it again in 2025 and every year!

The reality is that the Yankees traded Andrew Miller (who cares?), an out-to-pasture Carlos Beltran (who cares?), and Aroldis Chapman (a star closer who the Yankees re-signed for the 2017 season).

It was shrewd enough, I suppose.

You lose an old CFer and a relief pitcher and take a chance on a dozen prospects. Maybe a few of the prospects will stick. 

The returns were Nick Green, Erik Swanson, Dillon Tate, J.P. Feyereisen, Clint Frazier, Ben Heller, Justus Sheffield, Rashad Crawford, Billy McKinney, Gleyber Torres, and Adam Warren.

The big payoff in 2018 was trading some of those prospects for long-forgotten Canadian pitcher James Paxton.

So the only consequential player the Yankees got in return was Gleyber Torres.

 

Fans enjoy it when the team packs it in. It takes the pressure off. Spend a Sunday afternoon watching Happy Gilmore 2 instead of another aggravating loss to the Phillies. Emotionally disengage.

It's fun to play GM and imagine a team in the near future with no injuries and young players exceeding their potential.

It's also fun to prove you're smarter than Brian Cashman. Totally. You know you are smarter than that guy.

But "The Process" seldom works.

There is no way out for this team. Nobody wants your nasty fruit salad at the potluck dinner and nobody wants Giancarlo Stanton.

The only hope is that the players on the 2025 Yankees play better. Then you hope against hope that they turn it on in October.

No .600 teams in MLB at the moment.

The Dodgers might be bored with the regular season and laying in wait, ready to turn on the switch in the postseason ... I'm looking at you, Mookie Betts.

Or there might not be any dominant teams and we're going to get a 12-team free-for-all. Which it always is, anyway.

Yankee fans are traumatized by last year's World Series and I personally think the 2025 team won't get that far in the playoffs.

But they might.

I don't say this because I am buoyed by a thrilling win against an AL East rival.

I say this because this is what MLB wants. They've rigged it.

The season is far from over. The Yankees may have their worst days ahead of them. They may collapse physically, emotionally, and mentally, sabotaging the career of Aaron Boone, a manager they secretly despise.

But that's what it will take for this team to miss the playoffs.

It's quite possible that the Mariners, Red Sox, or Rays can catch the Yankees. It's very possible that the Blue Jays win the AL East this year.

But what's not likely is that the Mariners, Red Sox AND Rays all catch the Yankees. To miss the playoffs, the Yankees will have to come in seventh place in the AL. I frankly don't see how that is going to happen.

Because when Yankee fans identify all the problems with their own team, they are not applying the same scrutiny to all the other teams. 

Torpedo Bats

The Yankees lead the majors in home runs, walks, slugging percentage, and on-base percentage.

They homer their way out of a lot of sloppiness.

Do you think they will be able to do win in the playoffs with this characteristic?

Neither do I. 

But that is the enduring narrative of the Yankees. Bad fundamentals, sloppiness in the field, a lack of productive outs.

Then Rice clocks one in the ninth inning and everyone goes home happy. 

The Breakthrough

Shortly after the All Star break, Volpe had a great game. Two home runs and four RBIs. It was a turning point!

In the small-sample-size three games since?

• 1-for-10 with two big errors.

 

Including the outlier, this is Volpe's July:

• 65 at-bats. 9 hits, .138 BA, 3 HR, 9 RBIs, 7 runs, 1 walk.

 

One walk in July!

Through July 22!

The only explanation I have is the most straightforward explanation. Opposing pitchers know he can't hit, so they refuse to walk him. Like, the mirror image of an intentional walk. 

Volpe is going to snap one of these days with these passive-aggressive questions.

Meredith Marakovits is actually hilarious with her roundabout ways of regularly challenging Volpe and Boone.

"How disappointed are you? Since you hold yourself to a high standard?"

 

Also, to be fair, at this point, this is only a story because it keeps happening. It didn't cost the Yankees the game. 

The Yankees scored one whole run.

Rodon sort of had a decent stat line, but he walked five batters and threw 100+ pitches in five innings.

Peraza's error was a legit error; Volpe's bad throw (NO REASON TO RUSH THE THROW) really should have been handled by Goldschmidt.

Make the scoop at first base, trot to the dugout, Yankees lose 3-1 instead of 4-1, someone else gets the mics in their face.

 

Boone is willing to debase himself to support his players.

The original video is here.

"Three or four plays" is not the "separator" between Volpe's current season and winning a gold glove.

"Number of errors" is not a valid assessment of a player's defensive ability. Volpe's defense has been far worse than his league-leading errors.

On the flip side, highlight reel "range-y" plays are also not a valid assessment.

I'm sure I can find a highlight of Manny Ramirez diving for a shoestring grab when he wasn't cutting off relay throws intended for a different player.

Jose Canseco occasionally ran down a line drive in the gap when balls weren't bouncing off his head and over the fence.

The Gold Glove was fraudulent; and if it wasn't, then we have a bigger problem. Because that would mean a deterioration in the player's mental or physical skills at a very young age. Not a great trajectory.

 

I also don't quite agree with the NY Post video.

The Yankees aren't going to get a new shorstop in 2025. They'll get a new third baseman. Maybe a relief pitcher to replace Loaisiga while they're at it.

Boone doesn't have to do anything with Volpe. What else can he do? Boone already dropped Volpe in the lineup and has started to pinch hit for Volpe.

Coddling Volpe doesn't work, pressuring Volpe doesn't work. Moving up in the batter's box doesn't work, moving back in the batter's box doesn't work. A higher leg kick doesn't work, a lower leg kick doesn't work. A chicken parm dinner doesn't work, a vegetarian dinner doesn't work.

Sure, it's an insult to our intelligence that Boone floats the idea that Volpe is playing great at shortstop other than "three or four" noticeable errors. But these guys always insult our intelligence. 

I personally think Volpe is undermined by his own anxieties and amateurish attitude (He rushed the throw last night? For real? Is this high school?), but all of that is probably a red herring. It's confusing the cart with the horse.

The reason Volpe isn't a very good baseball player at the major league level is because he isn't.

He's a focal point of anxiety for the fans because the fans see what's coming. My personal opinion is that the Yankees will flame out in the playoffs and I absolutely expect Volpe to make an ill-timed bad play in the field and Williams to blow a save.

Reliability and consistency aren't nice add-ons for professional athletes. They're basically the only things that matter. 

 

  

Sure, I hope it's a sign of things to come.

"But comments on social media or call-in radio don’t carry significant weight for the Yankees, who have steadfastly supported Volpe, believing his performance exceeds his stat line -- and that better days are yet to come."

A couple of things:

1. No one's performance exceeds their stat line. Your performance is your stat line. You can't have it both ways. You can't say he had a good game last night just because he hit two home runs and drove in four runs ... and then also say he was playing well through the first half of July, despite the fact that he hit .125 with no walks during that time period.

1a. Sure, there are intangibles that count for something. Volpe falls short in many intangible categories. Most of them. Clutch, leadership, and baseball IQ come to mind. He tries hard, no doubt about it, so that indicates good character and potential to possibly resurrect his career.

2. Part and parcel with point #1: The problem is not social media or call-in radio discussions. The problem is a third-year, 24-year-old player who batted .125 with no walks through the first half of July. A third-year, 24-year-old player who lacks most of the intangibles associated with successful major league ballplayers.

Let's be honest about it.

It's very hard to find good ballplayers who suddenly got good at the age of 25 and stayed good. 

Sandy Koufax suddenly got good and made it all the way to the HOF. 

Gregg Jefferies had one good season out of nowhere.

I'm sure there are others, but it's not a common occurrence.

On the other hand, crummy ballplayers have two-HR, four-RBI games every day.

A big part of the growing discontent with Volpe is that he isn't getting better. Without question, a 24-year-old veteran has different expectations than a 22-year-old rookie. 

It would be great if Saturday's game was a turning point. I've heard it before with tales of chicken parmesan dinners and adjustments to his whatever ... batting stance or weight shift.

I think it's most likely the Yankees have a mediocre shortstop for a long time who never wins another Gold Glove, accumulates a career WAR of 20 or so, and makes one All Star Game in his career. His North Star isn't Derek Jeter. His North Star is Roy Smalley. 

Did you see how hard he swung on that second home run?

I also foresee a scenario where a two-HR game ... a World Series Grand Slam! ... just reinforces bad habits and he continues to sacrifice batting average and productive at-bats for a lot of strikeouts and warning track flies. 

But we don't talk about the Yankees anymore.

The Yankees are not relevant "around here."

The Mets are the Kings of New York.

The Mets are going to win 109 games because they're just like the 1986 Mets, only better. 

Say "I should have been more aggressive" again.

Those who defend his defensive prowess don't watch the games. All defensive metrics are questionable in my opinion. "Number of errors" is not a good gauge, though Volpe also has a ton of errors.

I wasn't confident in a 2025 Subway Series until the moment Mike Lupica said it wasn't going to happen.

Thin skin.

Still waiting:

Fiery and defensive throughout a scrum that lasted over 90 minutes, Brian Cashman’s frustration reached a high point at the General Managers Meetings in Scottsdale, Arizona on Nov. 7, 2023 when a reporter asked him about the Yankees’ difficulties developing homegrown hitters.

His organization had just failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2016, and rookie shortstop Anthony Volpe endured an uneven, strikeout-heavy season despite joining the 20-20 club as a 22-year-old.

“So if Volpe winds up crushing it this [coming] year, are you gonna be like, ‘Hey, I guess their player development system does produce hitters?’” Cashman shot back before adding, “I look forward to you telling me, when Volpe crushes it offensively for us this year, that you’ll say, ‘Hey man, I guess your development program did a good job.’”

WFAN callers are left with one less talking point.

The infamous Sunday lineup.

No one expects Chisholm and Dominguez to play every game.

Both of them are playing pretty well recently, so it doesn't make a lot of sense from that perspective.

But it also demonstrates a major disconnect between the decision-makers and the fan base.

The lack of urgency.

The insistence that the team is pressing instead of pondering the possibility that the team is slacking.

They'll start playing great as long as Boone takes the pressure off. 

The Yankees are not in first place anymore. They're in the midst of another six-game losing streak and Boone is comfortable leaving it up to Max Fried to avoid a weekend sweep by the Mets.

You really ought to read the room and put your best foot forward. 

A boy playing a man's game.

Pre-IL and post-IL, Weaver has been bad.

Five home runs in last eight innings pitched.

Has the league figured him out?

Or is it just a short-term blip due to rust and injury? 

This is the 10,000th time the word "agressive" has been tortured and abused to describe a stupid play by Anthony Volpe.

You kind of have to watch the play in question to believe it.

I can't find much discussion of the term "clutch fielding," but I believe in clutch fielding, and Volpe is a choker in all aspects of baseball:

"The sixth-inning grounder was hit to Anthony Volpe's right, and as he pursued the bouncing object on the Rogers Centre turf, the Yankees shortstop had a split second to read the play. The tying run would score, Ernie Clement was digging hard for first base and Nathan Lukes was chugging into second representing the potential go-ahead run.

Volpe went for the gold, banking on a miracle putout at first base. It backfired; his throw arrived late and Lukes grabbed a free base. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. made the Yankees pay with a hard go-ahead two-run single that rocketed under Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s glove at third base – the deciding runs in New York’s 5-4 loss to the Blue Jays on Monday night."

I also like the pointless ritual of postgame monitoring of his response to bad games. Is he contrite? Did he learn?

The daily deer-in-the-headlights look of the perpetually "young" player.

This guy is going to be described as an up-and-coming rookie with a big upside after twelve years on the bench. 

“'We’re going to be aggressive, try to make plays and back up the pitcher,' Volpe said. 'So that’s baseball. It happens. We had a lot of opportunities after that, too. I feel like we still took good at-bats and put good swings on the ball.'"

"We."

After I screwed up in the field, my teammates almost came back to win the game.

"That's baseball! It happens! What are you gonna do?" 

Again, you have to actually see the play to understand the lack of baseball intelligence and instincts. It's on display from the Yankee shortstop every day. He benefits from a widespread presumption that shortstops are intelligent.

There was no play at first base. The runner is nowhere to be seen as the camera pans across the field and the first baseman catches the ball. The runner is a few steps past the base, down the first base line. 

The Yankees have wisely dropped him in the lineup.

Pretty soon, he's going to be benched.

The Volpe Experiment is over. They gave him a shot and he couldn't do it.

 

I also have a new favorite stat of 2025. Still don't think Volpe is a choker?

In tie games, Volpe is batting .101 in 69 at-bats.

Within one run? .169.

Withing two runs? .188.

Etc.

When the score of the game is within 4 runs, Volpe is batting .205.

But when the margin is >4 runs, Volpe is batting .364. 

 

The Yankees probably score more runs per inning when they are not gifted a runner on second base.

"The Yankees' bullpen wasted Carlos Rodon's efforts, and the team's extra-inning woes continued, as New York fell 5-4 in the 11th inning.

New York entered the 11th batting .770 with a .270 OPS while driving in one run in extras all year. So, of course, the Yankees would push across a run, but it happened without a hit. After Cody Bellinger moved Aaron Judge -- the ghost runner -- to third on a sharp groundout, Judge scampered home on a wild pitch.

But it wasn't enough as the Yankees allowed two runs as the Reds clinched the three-game series."

I'll presume a misprint with the .770 batting average. It should be .170.

The Yankees are lacking in fundamentals and they don't care.

They can still win a lot of these games, maybe even in October. Judge comes through with a bases-clearing double and everyone is happy.

But they will have to do it the hard way. They refuse to do the easy things.

I did not read this Mike Lupica article.

It is probably behind a firewall, anyway.

The headline must be clickbait: "Are this year's Yankees better than last year's team?"

No.

Last year's team had superstar Juan Soto and made the World Series. Also, the Yankees just got shut out three games in a row. So your timing is bad.

I laughed when I saw the headline because it reminded me of a Lupica article from one week ago where he compared the 2025 Mets to the 1986 Mets.

Aside from the fact that Lupica compares everything to the 1986 Mets, it's funny because the Mets haven't won a game since then.

So do me a favor, pal: Don't talk about the Yankees. Ignore them. You're the one who claimed the Mets had taken over as Kings of the City, so the Yankees are just a boring afterthought for true baseball fans. The Yankees are unworthy of your attention, so it would be perfectly appropriate for you to stop paying attention instead of making up nonsense articles about nothing.

Baseball accomplishes nothing.

"Two things can be true. Anthony Volpe is only 24 years old and still has room to grow as a player. Anthony Volpe was also an overhyped prospect who has major flaws in his game and might need to be accepted for who he is."

Point one is Volpe is bad. "Still has room to grow" is an interesting way to put it, but he's just, you know, mostly bad at playing baseball at a major league level.

Point two is Volpe is bad.

"He isn't bad."

He's bad.

"But he also isn't good."

Correct. He isn't good. Which means he is bad.

"Here's the thing, though. Flipping out over Anthony Volpe accomplishes absolutely nothing."

Of course it accomplishes nothing.

Neither does staying calm about Volpe's inabilities to play major league baseball.

Neither does watching baseball or commenting about baseball or scanning the box scores or predicting the future outcomes of baseball games or reminiscing about Jeter and Mariano and Willie and Mickey and the Duke or collecting Aaron Judge Superman bobble head dolls.

It's up to the players to figure out how to play baseball competently.

The fans can do whatever they want.

I wish I had influence on Anthony Volpe's ability to play baseball.

What shall I do? Flip out? Stay calm? Put a Volpe jersey in the freezer? Pray? Maintain a ridiculous blog? 

"If fans and media members are still out there complaining about how he hasn't fulfilled his top prospect pedigree, then they're either in denial or haven't watched enough baseball."

You aren't saying he's fulfilled his top prospect pedigree, are you?

"Newsflash! So many prospects do not pan out. It's the unfortunate reality of the sport. It's not Anthony Volpe's fault the Yankees anointed him the shortstop of the future after just a handful of games at Triple-A. They put a ton of pressure on him. At times he's lived up to the billing. Most times he's been a disappointment."

Sure.

Of course most prospects do not pan out.

So ... that's it? The fans should just have low expectations and then they won't be disappointed?

I can agree with that, if that's your point.

But that's also not what fans generally choose to do. 

"The sooner fans realize Volpe is a solid defender and bottom of the order bat that can do damage in spurts, the better off everybody will be. We've written him off as a future cornerstone piece of the organization long ago. That's not a knock on him, either. He has value on this team. He's not going to turn into what everybody thought he would be just because you keep yelling about it."

Fan is short for fanatic. You may regulate your emotions as you wish. Others choose to vent. 

Also, I WISH Volpe was (a) a solid defender, and (b) THE YANKEES WOULD BAT HIM AT THE BOTTOM OF THE ORDER.

FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY, PLEASE STOP BATTING HIM FIFTH. HOW MANY TIMES ARE YOU GOING TO BAT HIM IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ORDER?

Phew.

That felt good.

Another counterpoint: Who is "better off" if the Yankee fans lower their expectations for Volpe?

The fans are better off? Volpe is better off? The Yankees are better off?

Because, while ranting and raving accomplishes nothing in terms of on-field results, blithely accepting incompetence and amateurism from major league baseball players also accomplishes nothing.

"He might become the one everybody envisioned. But chances are he won't. And that's fine."

It's fine if the Yankee put bad baseball players on the field. Gee. Maybe you just haven't watched enough baseball.

"The Yankees don't need him to be a superstar. They just need to keep him out of the spotlight and let him find those promising rhythms, which we've seen plenty of this year."

I have not noticed too many "promising rhythms," but I also wasn't paying attention to his walk up music. Is it Sly and the Family Stone?

It's also a bogus argument: "Volpe doesn't need to be a superstar." 

As if that's the problem. 

As if he's dazzling us with clutch performances and fundamentally sound play and racking up a nice 30/30 season, but we're just so spoiled that we demand 40 home runs and 100 RBIs.

Volpe has been cut far more slack than any other player I can think of. If the Yankees had sent out Jayson Nix for two-and-a-half years, the fans would be loud and restless.

I agree with keeping Volpe out of the spotlight, I'll grant that much.

The bench is out of the spotlight. Somerset is out of the spotlight. Running errands for Francisco Lindor is out of the spotlight.

"Plus, this entire offense hasn't scored in week. It's not just on Volpe."

Judge was booed, if that makes you feel better. 

The booing didn't accomplish anything, but it's just fans doing what they do. 

 

1-for-18 with RISP isn't going to cut it.

Especially when the one hit doesn't score a run.

"Scoring position," huh?

 I know, I know. It's an infield single and therefore an abomination to the fundamental meaning of this particular stat.

 We all see the same thing.

1-5 in extra inning games and a truly amateurish inability to get the ghost runner home. MLB is giving you a run. Why won't you take the run? 

Which tracks with a new batch of young players who just don't know how to play the game. All these fundamental errors add up. They can do the tough stuff reasonably well, but they can't do the easy stuff.

I also don't think this is the game to slag on Volpe. It wasn't his fault. He had a sac bunt (hooray!) and, you know, put the ball in play at least. Stole a base in a clutch spot.

But when he grounded out to end the game, he looked like he was going to cry.

This isn't working, kid.

You're two-and-a-half years into the majors and the Yankees have given you a lot of slack. They've given you the starting shortstop job for two-and-a-half years, including the playoffs.

Stop squeezing the bat so tight.

In clutch situations, you're obviously getting in your own way.  

You need to chill out and start playing like a bored veteran.

 

 

I think it will be tedious and lame to complain about Giancarlo Stanton for the next 100 games.

He will hit some home runs, more than most, and do little else.

But there is just no way he should be batting fifth vs. righties. I think he should be platooning with Rice and reduced to a pinch-hitting role vs. righties.

I guess Goldschmidt got the day off today, so maybe it's not going to be a typical lineup for the rest of the year. 

Lots of gaffes, mistakes, bad cutoff throws, not hustling, not covering first base in the fifth inning of Game Five of the World Series ...

The Yankees are in first place and they are playing well overall.

There's also this unsettling feeling that they haven't learned their lesson.

Volpe bad throw, Goldschmidt doesn't keep the ball in front of him, Dominguez bad throw, LeMahieu can't catch the cutoff throw (no advance), Grisham lazy play on a Red Sox single, Volpe caught off guard on the non-tag at second base, Volpe with a horrible cutoff throw home on a play where the runner was going to be safe anyway, but still ... if the guy is going to be safe, don't throw it; and if you're going to throw it, don't throw it 15 feet away from home plate; this is the major leagues ... Dominguez with a baserunning "gaffe."

Lose the game by one run.

Let's check in on Gary Sanchez.

Not too good.

Three hits in 30 at-bats, all singles.

A slash line of .100/200/.100. 

 

I prefer closer by committee for 4-6 weeks.

"The Yankees are expected to place Weaver on the injured list Tuesday with Fernando Cruz slated to be activated. Williams figures to slide back in the closer role. The two-time All-Star hasn't given up a run in 11 of his past 13 appearances, lowering his ERA from 11.25 to 6.23 over the span."

I'm not sure it even matters. A great player will be replaced by an inferior player.

I just personally still don't trust Williams ... and while it's contrary to my general belief that roles don't matter much, I think the recent successes listed above are not proof that Williams is ready to close ... rather, they're proof that he can excel in the setup role.

Franciso Lindor has his Mets Moment.

Just a reminder that I was a sportswriter in New York during Dwight Gooden's heyday in 1984.

I don't think it's completely crazy to put deGrom in the Hall of Fame, but Mike Lupica doesn't make the case:

"What Yankees fans saw with deGrom back in the big city on Wednesday night is what Mets fans saw across town at Citi Field when his starts were known as deGrom Day and you didn’t want to miss one of them; when they were as much a pitching event as Dwight Gooden’s starts once were at Shea Stadium when he was young, and he was the Mets ace who looked like the best pitcher in the world."

DeGrom wasn't that good vs. the Yankees last week, by the way. It wasn't must-see TV.

As for aces that energized Mets fans, let's put Matt Harvey and R.A. Dickey in the Hall of Fame.

"Jacob deGrom pitched seven innings against the Yankees and looked as if he were on his way to a win before Cody Bellinger took him out of the park in the seventh and made the game 2-2. But while he was out there, he looked like everything he ever was as a Met: Nine strikeouts, one walk, three hits. He was the same dazzling presence on the mound that he has always been when blessed with good health, something that hasn’t happened nearly often enough."

He looked like he was on his way to a win until he gave up a home run.

In that case, he really does remind me of Dwight Gooden.

"But look at what deGrom has been able to do when he has been injury-free, the laundry list of achievements that nearly give off a beam of light: Two Cy Young Awards, a season when he finished with an ERA of 1.70, the all-time leader in K/BB at 5.40. He’s twice led the world in strikeouts, led once in bWAR. He has 1,728 strikeouts (in 1,425 innings) for his career against just 320 walks. With everything that has happened to him already, his lifetime ERA stands, and proudly, at 2.51."

There's a HOF case for deGrom. His career WAR is quite high. His K:BB ratio is the best of all-time. Lupica listed deGrom's achievements and didn't even mention Rookie of the Year.

The problem is, the voters don't care too much about those particular stats.

K:BB ratio is a funny one. The Top Twenty is commingled with HOFers and mediocre pitchers.

It's a ratio. Which is the point, isn't it? The HOF is for accumulators.

 

The bigger problem is the whole "when he has been injury-free" argument. Because then you're just speculating. 

Don Gullet, Tony Conigliaro, and Mark Fidrych might have made the Hall of Fame.

 

My other gripe goes something like this.

1. Lupica is just infatuated with the Mets. He'd never write such an article about two-time CYA winner Corey Kluber (116-77, 3.44) or Hyun Jin Ryu (78-48, 3.27 ERA).

This article is for MLB, not SNY.

I'll gladly concede that deGrom had a better career than Kluber or Ryu. But did he have a better career than Tommy John? Curt Schilling?

2. While deGrom was good the other night, he allowed two runs in seven innings. Carlos Rodon pitched better the next day. So did Nathan Eovaldi. Nathan Eovaldi's return to the Bronx!

DeGrom's start was, like, the 10th-best start in the majors that day, yet Lupica was going to praise it to high heaven no matter what actually happened in the game.

"Looked like he was headed for a win until he blew it in the seventh inning."

Using that logic, Gerrit Cole won Game Five of the World Series last year.

My favorite MLB 2025 statistic.

Anthony Volpe has more strikeouts than Aaron Judge.

Volpe is batting .204 with RISP and .167 with two outs and RISP. His strikeout percentages in these situations are preposterous.

With RISP, he has struck out 20 times in 54 at-bats (37% of the time) and with two outs and RISP, he has struck out 12 times in 30 at-bats (40% of the time).

These horrible numbers more or less hold true for his career. When observed over 2 1/3 seasons and 1,400 major league at-bats, it no longer can be dismissed as small-sample-size noise.

Also, why hasn't he learned how to bunt?

Do you know how many sac bunts Volpe has in his career?

Three.

THREE!

Which brings me to my overall observation about his status on the team. His role on the team. The overall strategy. The acknowledgement and utilization of his skill set.

I suppose his defense is good enough, though I think it's overrated.

He has decent power and speed for a middle infielder, though not quite the 30/30 projections and, if I'm extending the general theme, most of his stolen bases/home runs/RBIs hits seem to be in "low leverage" situations.

But why is Volpe batting fifth? Ever?

It's like the Yankees refuse to acknowledge who he is.

"If we bat him leadoff, he'll be a good leadoff hitter."

"If we bat him fifth, he'll be a reliable RBI hitter."

I think he should bat ninth. Maybe eighth in games where Peraza, Escarra, or Vivas are playing. But even then, I'm not sure.

Volpe can steal a base, and batting ninth could conceivably allow the Yankees to steal a run on occasion with the top of the lineup coming up.

Also, I just see no reason whatsoever to maximize the occasions of Volpe batting with RISP.

Noooooo ....

"Was the tiebreaking double his True Met Moment (trademark pending)? Who knows. Maybe he doesn’t even need one. Soto may not be off to the kind of start that prompts odes in his first year as a Met, but perhaps he’s getting there."

Oh.

So you agree.

Fans don't like it when their team loses.

This did happen, but the comments section on a fan discussion board is low hanging fruit.

"He doesn't want to play here" and "bench him" are not reasonable reactions.

As for the Subway Series, I feel the same way I always feel. The Yankees have nothing to gain from these games.

The 2025 Mets are (probably) better than the 2025 Yankees.

Some analyses suggest otherwise, but in my opinion, the Mets have a better record in a better division/league.

Not much better, but the point is, if the Kings of New York was an actual thing, then the Mets already wear the crown.

It isn't an actual thing.

Mets fans root for the Mets, Yankee fans root for the Yankees, Knicks fans root for the Knicks, Nets fans root for the Nets.

If young fans or stubborn fans really buy into the Yankee Entitlement and Mets Redheaded Stepchild narratives, then they're just being played.

Baseball should be enough, but for most so-called fans, it isn't enough.

Only one team in the AL East is over .500.

The Orioles are 15-29 and 10.5 games out of first place.

What's going on with the Orioles?

I'm sure his first at-bat will raise a ruckus.

There will also be plenty of Mets fans in attendance ... it's the Subway Series!

They won't boo Soto; quite the contrary. They will be wearing #22 jerseys trying to bait Yankee fans.

I don't detect any major animus towards Soto, or sense of betrayal. It's just the typical, "You are a prominent player who plays for the other team and I know who you are. Boo!"

"Soto knows how to hit at Yankee Stadium, delivering a career-high 41 home runs last year with New York. Now facing them as the enemy, he’ll have the chance to put those skills to good use with his new team."

He sure will have the chance to do that.

Put his baseball-playing skills to good use with his new team while playing baseball against his former team.

Wait ... was I duped by a chatbot article?

 

 

If you're not plugged into the Yankee fanbase, you probably think Juan Soto is a big story.

Juan Soto's Bronx story began over a year ago. Opening Day 2024. So even the headline is wrong.

"It’s always a good show, and big fun, when the Mets and Yankees play for the city championship in another Subway Series -- the first of which is at Yankee Stadium this weekend."

Is it, though?

"It will be even a better show than usual this time because both teams are in first place."

"Usually," the Yankees and Mets are both good teams. The 2025 Subway Series is more less the exact same thing as it always is.

A long time ago, it was interesting. "Dave Mlicki" and all that. 

I remember Mariano Rivera walked with the bases loaded one time. Here you go. How ridiculous was that?

A Korean pitcher who insisted being called Mr. Koo got a couple of hits off Randy Johnson. 

Shawn Estes saying he was going to plunk Clemens, but he didn't, but he won the game ... and he hit a home run off Clemens. Crazy! It was "the one where Estes hit a home run off Clemens." The Mets took over the city that day in 2002, they surely did, but now they'll have to try again to take it over this weekend.

I totally remember a garbage umpire call setting up Matt Franco for a garbage game-winning hit off Mariano Rivera. They don't show the whole at-bat, so you can't see the umpire blow the two-strike call which would have ended the game. The Mets won! They won! Put it in the books!

There is no need to hype the 2025 Subway Series. You're forcing it. It is as tired as the fifth ining YMCA dance.

"When 'Friends' was one of the biggest hits on network television, the episode titles always began this way: 'The one where ...' For the Mets and Yankees this weekend, the episode title could be this: 'The One Where Juan Soto Comes back to the Stadium as a Met.' "

I mean ... it's self-parody. It's a "Friends" reference.

I was right about the Soto signing the whole time. It made waves when it happened and now no one cares. Soto played one season for the Yankees and had a great season and an unforgettable moment in the playoffs. He then signed with another team. He's more Chris Chambliss than Reggie Jackson in Yankee lore.

"It just isn’t likely to be a lot of laughs for Soto when he starts hearing it from his old friends in the Bronx".

The anger directed towards Soto will be insincere and muted.

It's going to be from people wearing Jeter jerseys who couldn't name one player in the Yankees' starting rotation other than Cole.

I hope they enjoy the game. Boo Soto all you want if you really want to. Leave after Judge's third at-bat to beat traffic. I'm not judging. You're living your best life. In fact, I admire fans who can't name one player in the Yankees' starting rotation. It is I who needs to get a life.

"The games this weekend are going to be saltier than usual -- and that is saying plenty -- because of the flashpoint that Soto has become for Yankees fans since he went with the other guys."

This is made up.

I'm always put in the position of diminishing the Subway Series because it's not that big of a deal. It's two good teams playing each other. Anyone paying attention to the recent series vs. the first-place Mariners saw an intense three-game series between two teams who have dreams of making it to the World Series.

If the Mets fans crave bragging rights, they already have bragging rights. They keep beating the Yankees head to head in the regular season and no one cares.

 

 

 

 

 

Clutch fielding is a thing.

I am just repeating myself.

It seems as if I'm the only one who is noticing this.

For one thing, I don't see how Volpe won a gold glove and I don't really buy the defensive WAR stats which had him as the highest defensive WAR in MLB the last time I checked.

More importantly, he makes defensive misplays at the worst times.

For this particular sequence, I don't really think it made a difference. The leadoff single was a single. The run-scoring fielder's choice was probably not going to be a GIDP anyway.

Paired with his atrocious offensive clutch stats and I have to conclude this guy is a legit choker.