"Open to certain things" - Yankees manager Aaron Boone has not ruled out dropping Anthony Volpe down in the lineup
After starting the season strong, Aaron Boone and the New York Yankees began to falter towards the end of the month. They went 3-for-10 to close out June, allowing the Baltimore Orioles to catch up with them in the AL East.
Injuries and lackluster performances on the offensive side had led to their slump. Fans have recently called for change, with some suggesting Boone move Anthony Volpe down in the lineup.
Volpe has been hitting leadoff for the Bronx Bombers, and while he has improved on his rookie season, his offensive numbers are league-average. Through 85 games, he has hit .261/.315/.389 with a 22.3% strikeout rate, causing Boone to always have other lineups in mind.
"Any time you're in the throw of the season and you have a series where you don't get on a lot or whatever and it deflates you, and then all of a sudden, you string together 4-5 big games and it's like 'oh, there we go,'" - said Boone.
Boone took knowledge of the team's recent skid, and while he has stuck with Volpe at leadoff, that is not concrete. Boone has not ruled out dropping the slugger down in the lineup if needed.
"It's something that I'm paying attention to and am open to certain things" - said Boone.
The Yanks have some important series during the month of July. If they do not turn things around, expect Boone to shake up the lineup.
Could Aaron Boone deploy Juan Soto at the leadoff spot for the Yankees?
Anthony Volpe performed well at the leadoff spot for the first two months of the season but was inconsistent during June. He has been poor against offspeed pitches this year, which has been a cause for concern.
One player that has risen past expectations and could be an option to replace Volpe as a leadoff hitter is Juan Soto. While he is not the prototypical leadoff guy, he has been on a tear at the plate this year.
Through 82 games, Soto has hit .303/.437/.568 with 20 home runs and 61 runs batted in. He also leads all MLB hitters in walks with 71.
This could be their best option with guys like DJ LeMahieu struggling to get the ball rolling this year. If the Yankees continue their downfall, expect Aaron Boone to make some changes in the batting order.