When Anthony Volpe first came up to the big leagues in 2023, some called him the next heir apparent to Derek Jeter. However, so far, it hasn’t panned out, and Jeter himself has now weighed in on Volpe’s struggles.
Jeter spoke with NJ.com’s Max Goodman, where he compared his own struggles at the start of his Major League career, to Volpe’s present day struggles.
“I remember coming in, struggling, getting booed at the Stadium. That’s just part of it,” Jeter said. “You just gotta keep at it. You gotta stay positive. Gotta keep working. From everything I’ve seen, he’s gotten a lot of support from his teammates and from the front office. That’s a good sign. So, you just gotta go out there and try to be as consistent as possible.”
Volpe must figure it out soon before it’s too late
Jeter also mentioned the importance of Volpe turning it around during a pivotal point in the season, as the Yankees are still in the mix for the AL East division crown, and the top Wild Card spot as the season winds down.
“One of the most difficult things to do is to try to forget what’s happened up until a particular point,” Jeter said. “For him or anybody, at this point of the season, statistically you can’t change it. You can get a hit every at-bat the rest of the year. You’re pretty much not going to change anything. But you can help the team from this point forward. It’s an important couple of weeks, and hopefully a long run in the playoffs.”
Despite a decent rookie season in 2023 that saw Volpe go 20/20, and win a gold glove at shortstop, he’s fallen off dramatically since. This season, he’s slashing .207/.269/.396 and leads the American League with 19 errors.