No Ordinary Anthony
Anthony Volpe (NYY): 2-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 4 RBI.
Sometimes, progress can be a slow burn.
That may be the case with Anthony Volpe, who is in his third season in the Majors.
On Saturday against Atlanta, the Yankees’ shortstop went 2-for-4 with two home runs and four RBI. His two home runs brought his total up to 12 for the year. That matches his 2025 total despite doing it in 396 fewer plate appearances. His .687 OPS is also 30 points higher than his mark a year ago and 21 points higher than his rookie season OPS.
Even though he can be a source of frustration for Yankees fans and fantasy baseball managers, the signs of progress are there as well in his Statcast data.
His 10.7% barrel rate is 6.8% higher than his mark a year ago and 1.7% higher than his 2023 rate. His 43.3% hard-hit rate is a career high. His 23.9% strikeout rate is higher than last year, but his BB/K ratio is 10 points higher as well. Pulling the ball in the air remains a problem, as evidenced by his 10.3% Pull AIR rate. However, Yankee Stadium tends to forgive hitters who don’t pull the ball often, especially right-handed ones, due to the stadium’s homer-friendly dimensions.
Volpe is still far away from reaching his full potential. He has also regressed over the past two months, with a .665 OPS in June and .489 OPS so far in July (he didn’t have an OPS below .700 in March, April, and May). However, with a strong start to the second half, maybe Volpe is tapping into something that can help him not only finish the year strong but also build for 2026.
Let’s see how the other hitters did Saturday
Eugenio Suárez (ARI): 2-3, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB.
Suarez continues to mash, which only adds to his already scorching trade speculation. His two home runs on Saturday against the Cardinals bring his total to 33, which is three more than what he had last season. His time on the Diamondbacks may be coming to an end in a couple of weeks by the Trade Deadline, but he should continue to launch the ball, wherever he lands.
Kyle Schwarber (PHI): 2-4, 2B, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, BB.
After being an All-Star game hero, Schwarber had himself a day on Saturday. He hit his 32nd home run, and his two-hit day brought his average up to .251 and his OPS up to .945. Schwarber has long been one of the better hitters in the game. That said, if he keeps this up in the second half, he should get serious consideration for the NL MVP award by season’s end.
Ozzie Albies (ATL): 2-4, HR, R, 5 RBI, BB, SB.
Atlanta lost to the Yankees, but don’t blame Albies, who had two hits, a home run, five RBI, and a stolen base on Saturday. It’s been a disappointing year for the three-time All-Star, as he is hitting .224 with a .628 OPS and only nine home runs in 412 plate appearances. Perhaps a positive regression is in store for Albies in the second half, if Saturday is any indication.
Nick Kurtz (ATH): 3-5, 2 2B, HR, 3 R, 2 RBI.
Kurtz is solidifying his case as the AL Rookie of the Year. He had a three-hit day against the Guardians on Saturday and launched his 18th home run of the year. His homer total is now up to 18, and he’s hitting .270 with a .933 OPS to boot. He strikes out a lot (32.9% K rate), but his barrel rate (18.8%) and hard-hit rate (52.9%) have been elite. The Athletics have a lot to look forward to with their young first baseman.
Willy Adames (SFG): 2-3, 2 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI.
It’s been a disappointing first season in San Francisco for Adames. He’s only hitting .224 with a .700 OPS in 415 plate appearances. However, he came up big against the Blue Jays on Saturday, hitting two home runs to bring his season total up to 14. The Giants’ offense has struggled to find consistency, even after acquiring Rafael Devers from Boston. A solid second half from Adames could solidify their postseason spot.
Hunter Goodman (COL): 3-5, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI.
The Rockies have been hot out of the All-Star Break, winning two in a row against the Twins. The Rockies catcher had a big day with three hits and a home run, his 18th of the year. Goodman has been a bright spot in an otherwise lackluster Rockies campaign. In 350 plate appearances, he’s hitting .282 with an .857 OPS. At 25 years old, Goodman is the kind of piece that the Rockies can build around.
Isaac Collins (MIL): 2-2, HR, 2 R, RBI, BB, SB.
The Brewers have a knack for finding and developing former underachieving prospects. After getting waived by the Rockies in 2022, the Brewers claimed Collins, and he’s had a solid first full season in Milwaukee. He is hitting .265 with a .775 OPS in 237 plate appearances, which has been much needed in the wake of Sal Frelick’s injury. He also hit his sixth home run of the year, which is good considering his lackluster power tool (29th percentile barrel rate; 26th percentile hard-hit rate). Collins isn’t a long-term fantasy asset, but he could be suitable for a stream with Frelick out.
Tyler Heineman (TOR): 2-3, 2B, HR, R, 3 RBI.
The journeyman Blue Jays catcher had a big day against the Giants, a team for which he played back in 2020. He hit his third home run of the year and improved his average to .341 and OPS to .914. He only has 98 plate appearances this year, so this hot streak may not last for long. However, he could be worth a dart throw in two-catcher leagues for managers desperate for catcher production.
Taylor Ward (LAA): 2-4, 2B, HR, R, 2 RBI.
Another day, another home run for Ward. The Angels outfielder has homered in each game out of the All-Star Break, bringing his total to 23 for the season. He hasn’t hit for a high average this year (.228) and his OBP is pretty mediocre as well (.300). That said, he still has a .785 OPS, primarily thanks to a .485 slugging. Ward could likely be a trade target for teams by the Deadline, especially once regression sets in for an Angels team with a 43-55 xW-L (they are 48-50).
