Reds legend defends Anthony Volpe with intriguing Julio Rodriguez, Bobby Witt Jr. examples

Though Anthony Volpe is an excellent defender, he has often come under fire from fans for his lack of offensive production for the New York Yankees. This season, the 24-year-old is batting .216 with 10 home runs and 49 RBIs.

Most of the criticism surrounding Volpe seems to stem from comparisons to other talented players of a similar age, such as Julio Rodriguez and Bobby Witt Jr., two All-Stars in 2025.

Cincinnati Reds legend Sean Casey, however, said that Volpe's projected numbers for the season are much closer to the likes of Rodriguez and Witt than most give him credit for.

On Saturday's episode of "The Mayor’s Office with Sean Casey," he said:

"One guy's hitting .247, he also has 11 home runs, he has 15 stolen bases, and he's got a .696 OPS. The other guy, he's hitting .217, he's got 10 home runs, he's got 11 stolen bases, and he's got a .684 OPS. One guy's an All-Star, the other guy, his head's being called for in New York. The one guy's Julio Rodriguez, and the other guy's Anthony Volpe." "Volpe is on pace for 18 home runs and 85 RBIs, playing a Gold Glove shortstop. He's going to have better numbers than Julio Rodriguez, probably as the damage numbers. Bobby Witt Jr.'s on pace for 22 (home runs) and 90 (RBIs). (In) the list for the top shorstops in the game, Volpe's right in the middle, he's seventh with (Francisco) Lindor, Witt, and all these guys."

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Yankees sportscaster concurs, claims Anthony Volpe is 'very serviceable' for the Yankees

Appearing on Monday's episode of "The Show," sportscaster Michael Kay appeared to share Sean Casey's opinion. Highlighting his projected numbers and how the Yankees were able to navigate a route to the World Series with Anthony Volpe in the lineup, Kay claimed the 24-year-old was a 'very serviceable' player for the Bronx Bombers, despite the criticism surrounding him.

"If you look up, he has 10 home runs and 48 runs batted in. If you take that over a full season, he's going to finish (around) 17 (home runs) and 80-85 (RBIs). It would be one of the top five or six shortstops," Michael Kay said (Timestamp: 33:30). "At this point, with the money that he's making, he's very serviceable for the Yankees. I keep telling fans, he was the same player last year, they made the World Series, and he happened to have a really good postseason," Kay said.

With plenty of baseball to come in the second half of the season, fans will be hoping Anthony Volpe can prove his believers right and show his worth in the biggest moments.

Edited by Victor R. Lopez M.