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The New York Yankees managed to end a brutal six-game losing streak with a win against the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday. But the issues that emerged during that stretch could have bigger ramifications.
The team endured a surprising offensive slump, with virtually every member of the batting order struggling at the plate. But the recent losses were also marked by poor baserunning decisions and some notable defensive issues.
In particular, former Gold Glove Award winning shortstop Anthony Volpe committed a key error in the eighth inning on Wednesday. He has now committed the most errors of any shortstop in the American League and addressed the issue after the game.
“Everyone holds themselves to really high standards. We’re not getting the job done,” Volpe said after that game, per MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch. “We’re going to keep working and holding each other to that; I hold myself to that. We’re just not performing and not doing the types of things we can control. We can be better.”
But as Volpe’s signature defense slips, his struggles on offense become harder to justify. He is slashing just .232/.306/.414 this season. And as the Yankees face World-Series-or-bust expectations and with an exciting prospect waiting in the wings, Volpe’s days as the everyday shortstop could be numbered.
“Patience with Anthony Volpe in the Bronx is wearing thin,” Ismael Hernandez de Dios wrote for Al Bat, adding that Lombard could “snatch” the starting shortstop spot. “And while the young player’s performance continues to decline, someone in the minors is already making a strong case: George Lombard Jr.”
At just 19 years old, Lombard was slashing .329/.495/.488 in High-A before a recent promotion to Double-A. While he still has a lot more to prove in the minors, Volpe’s struggles could hasten his path to the majors.
“The management can no longer afford to carry a weak link in such a tight division, and if Lombard Jr. keeps shining in the minors, media and fan pressure will only increase to make the switch,” Hernandez de Dios added. “If he continues his rise, the Yankees might soon have a new face at shortstop in Yankee Stadium.”
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Peter Chawaga is a veteran journalist covering Major League Baseball for The Sporting News. His MLB reporting has included feature interviews with commissioner Rob Manfred and Hall of Fame slugger David Ortiz, salary analysis, player rankings and more. He has covered baseball for Forbes, Yardbarker, Pitcher List, Athlon and other outlets.
With over ten years of newsroom experience, he has previously covered finance, technology, arts, and culture for newspapers, magazines, and websites nationwide. He graduated from Wake Forest University with a degree in English and journalism.
English (US)