ANTHONY VOLPE'S BATTING .228, GUYS

He's hardly Tony Gwynn, but he's trying.

Anthony Volpe gave Yankees fans a little something to smile about Sunday — even if he's still got a mountain to climb. The struggling shortstop showed a pulse during the doubleheader against the Blue Jays, collecting two hits in each game. Sure, most of the real fireworks came in Game 1 — a homer (his fifth of the year), a double, two RBIs, two runs scored, and a walk — but hey, when you're batting .228, you'll take anything that doesn't involve a weak grounder to second.

Credit where it's due: Volpe stepped up when the Yankees needed him. He didn’t exactly turn into Derek Jeter overnight, but a good day at the plate is a good day at the plate. Even with the hits, though, it's clear there's still a big hole to dig out of. His overall numbers remain underwhelming, and it's hard to see him right now as the franchise shortstop the Yankees dream of having.

To be fair, there are some encouraging signs buried underneath the mediocrity. Rotoballer says his average exit velocity has crept up, he notched the hardest-hit ball of his young career at 110.5 MPH, which, I'm going to be honest, as an old-time baseball guy, I don't see why this is important.  But also, when it comes to walks, he's been walking more (11.1% walk rate). But the problems are still there — chasing high fastballs, inconsistency, and a softer contact profile that makes you wonder if pitchers are still pretty comfortable facing him.

In short: Sunday was a much-needed step forward for Volpe. But if the Yankees are serious about winning, he’s going to need a lot more days like it — and a lot fewer empty at-bats — before anyone hands him the keys to the infield for good.