“VOLPE NEEDS TO SIT.” “Why doesn’t golden boy Volpe get benched?”  During his second season as the Yankees’ shortstop, Anthony Volpe had a batting average of .208 and made errors that cost the team. And that led to frustration among the bleachers creatures. Now a well-known voice has spoken up—not to condemn the shortstop, but to question the fans who are obsessed with him while bigger problems put the team’s chances of making the playoffs in danger.

The Yankees have one of the best offenses in MLB as they head towards the postseason. However, the bullpen has shown inconsistencies. Since the trade deadline, Cashman has added David Bednar, Camilo Doval, and Jake Bird to help up the bullpen. Even so, recent performances have shown serious problems, such as giving up leads, unreliable arms, and more tension than confidence.

During a recent appearance on a podcast, Mike Francesa challenged the narrative around Anthony Volpe, pushing back on fans who are “fixated” on him. He said, “They’re all fixated on Volpe. He will not be the reason that they win or lose. Bullpen, far more important than Volpe. Heels health, far more important than Volpe. Judge’s arm, far more important than Volpe. They will not win or lose because of Volpe… Those other ones could definitely be the reason why they win or lose. Especially the bullpen, which to me is not something you can count on.”

Stats back Francesa’s criticism. The Yankees’ bullpen has an ERA of about 4.57, a WHIP of about 1.34, and more than 20 blown saves in the 2025 season. Luke Weaver, who used to be dependable, has seen his ERA rise since coming back from an injury, and Camilo Doval and others have had trouble being consistent.

In a recent 10-9 triumph over the Twins, they almost lost their advantage in the last few innings. This shows how unstable they are. Aaron Judge, on the other hand, has been having a hard time since he was diagnosed with a flexor strain in his right elbow this summer. He has been used as a DH often and in jobs that don’t require full arm strength as much. His throwing talent has been carefully regulated.

Recently, he initially felt pain after throwing home from right field during a game in Toronto. Later, he winced when receiving a fly ball in the right-field corner and trying to send it to second base.

As for Anthony Volpe, he is playing through a partial rupture in the labrum in his left shoulder that he had in May. The pain has gotten worse recently, and he got a cortisone shot to help with the inflammation. That injury is probably partly to blame for Anthony Volpe’s current slump at the plate and for the mistakes on defense.

Jake Asman from The Michael Kay Show echoed concerns about the bullpen’s impact. “The bullpen is the biggest reason why the New York Yankees, despite having statistically the best offense in the league, are not going to win the division in all likelihood,” Asman said. The Yankees lead in runs scored per game at 5.22, but late-inning collapses have cost them crucial games.

While Yankees management grapples with these internal challenges, external voices continue shaping playoff expectations. The team’s vulnerability has become so apparent that analysts now debate optimal matchups based on current limitations.

MLB insider discusses playoff matchups

Chris Kirschner of The Athletic has gotten a lot of attention for saying that the Houston Astros would be his “ideal” first-round playoff opponent. Kirschner noted that even though the Astros have beaten the Yankees in the playoffs before, they would be the best club for the NYY to play in a short series. Many Yankees fans, who are still upset about losing in the playoffs in the past, would not agree.

Things have been hard for Houston after the All-Star break. Their starting rotation has the 14th-best ERA in all of MLB. The bullpen did a little better, coming in 18th, but it’s still unclear if Josh Hader will be available in October.

Jose Altuve, who used to be a big component of the Astros’ offense, hasn’t been hitting as well as he should have during the same time span. Kirschner said that Yankees fans “would likely not feel relaxed with him in the batter’s box in the postseason.” He stressed how important each player was in October.

His advice?  Look for flaws in possible opponents. There are already worries regarding Anthony Volpe, Judge, and the bullpen. The Athletic writer’s notion goes against what has happened in the playoffs between the two clubs in the past. His analysis focuses on Houston’s current statistical problems instead of how they usually do in October.