“Put Anthony Volpe on waivers”; “Swing the dang bat” - Yankees fans lash out at Volpe for taking a strike and acting like it’s a ball 

Even though Anthony Volpe has shown better consistency with the bat this year, he is still finding his feet as a hitter in the MLB. His uncertainty inside the batter's box was evident during the New York Yankees' game against the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday. In his first at-bat, Volpe let go of a hittable pitch at the top of the strike zone as he misjudged it to be a ball.

Yankees fans were left feeling disappointed at Volpe's effort and let their emotions out on social media.

The Yankees were down by two runs when Volpe came up to the plate in the top of the third inning with one out while Seth Lugo was on the mound for the Royals. Volpe managed to get ahead to a 3-1 count in the at-bat; therefore, Lugo had to throw the next pitch in the strike zone or he would give up a base on balls.

Lugo delivered an 89-mph front door cutter that started outside the plate before veering in towards the inner half of the strike zone. Volpe seemingly failed to read the pitch correctly as he started to swing before pulling away at the last moment as he felt it would end up high or wide of its mark.

However, Lugo's pitch was well-directed and hit the upper right corner of the virtual strike zone on the television broadcast. Volpe had no idea where the pitch went, as he had almost thrown away his bat and started jogging to first base, erroneously thinking that he had earned a walk.

Fans roasted the Yankees shortstop while responding to a clip of the particular pitch posted by Jomboy Media on X/Twitter:

The at-bat ended with a strikeout for Anthony Volpe, with many fans feeling he has not quite developed as a hitter this season:

"I know averages tell a different story, but he was definitely a better hitter last year," one fan said.

"He's so lost he looks worse than when he first came up offensively it's so bad," another fan wrote.

"He’s a big disappointment this year. Had a good start and has been awful since. Wish Cabrera could play more," added one fan.

Although he remains a solid defender, the Yankees faithful are looking at Volpe to string together quality at-bats on a more consistent basis.

No major improvement in offensive production for Anthony Volpe

Anthony Volpe has made much progress offensively this year (Image Credit: IMAGN)

Anthony Volpe had a promising debut campaign with the Yankees in 2023 with 21 home runs and 60 RBIs. He also ended the year with a Gold Glove for his stellar defense at shortstop and finished eighth in the American League Rookie of the Year voting.

This year, Volpe is batting .252/.300/.380 with .680 OPS. He raised his average by more than 40 points from last season, but his slugging has not improved a great deal, and he has hit just 11 home runs so far.