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Anthony Volpe’s best baseball is still ahead of him — at least, according to his former hitting coach.

Sean Casey, who served as the New York Yankees’ interim hitting coach in the second half of 2023 during Volpe’s rookie season, pushed back on criticism of the shortstop amid an ongoing offensive and defensive slump.

Volpe, 24, holds a .214/.286/.400 slash with a .686 OPS in 2025 — and was dropped to ninth in the lineup this week — to go along with an American League-leading 13 errors at shortstop.

In his third MLB season, Volpe has drawn criticism across the baseball world, including from Alex Rodriguez, who recently called his performance “not winning baseball.”

“What I would do, look at Derek Jeter’s rookie year,” Rodriguez said last week on “The Michael Kay Show.” “I would trade Volpe’s home runs and RBIs, and I would trade them today, right now, for a .280 batting average, 10-12 home runs, 65-75 RBIs, and give me 40 stolen bases and play lockdown defense and become the best bunter on the team.

“That is a formula to win.”

Casey isn’t buying that a change in approach is a cure for Volpe’s woes.

The 12-year MLB veteran and three-time All-Star sidestepped Rodriguez’s criticism, touting Volpe’s mindset and approach.

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“Not everybody is A-Rod, not everybody is [Derek] Jeter,” Casey said Monday on his podcast, “The Mayor’s Office.”

“Anthony Volpe is going to be just fine. Nobody works harder than he does. He’s in the cages all the time, has a great routine, he knows what he’s doing.”

Though Volpe has struggled with consistency at the plate and getting on base, his power production remains a bright spot. He’s swatted 13 home runs, just eight shy of the 21 he recorded as a rookie, and his 54 RBIs are approaching his career high of 60.

Casey used Volpe’s standout game against the Braves over the weekend to hit back at Rodriguez’s notion that a batting average-focused game plan would make him a more useful player.

“If you go watch the two home runs he hit [Saturday in Atlanta], he was really flat,” Casey said as he broke down Volpe’s mechanics. “Sometimes he loads on his legs, and when he loads, he loads down. When you load down, you have nothing to do but come up. What are these guys in the big leagues trying to do? They’re trying to hit upper rail. So if I’m loading down, I’m coming up and out. As opposed to staying into that hip.

“I think Volpe’s going to be fine,” Casey added. “I think Volpe’s going to get hot, to tell you the truth. And he’s on pace for 18 bombs, 85 RBIs. He has over 50 RBIs. Isn’t the job in baseball to score more runs than the other team? Isn’t that what it is? You want guys that drive in runs.”

While his power numbers are in line with his first two seasons, Volpe’s underlying metrics reflect a flawed hitter and who has failed to make an offensive leap.

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He’s batting an abysmal .176 against breaking pitches this season, according to Baseball Savant, a steep drop from his still uninspiring .209 in 2024.

After winning a Gold Glove as a rookie shortstop in 2023, Volpe’s defense has regressed, including crucial miscues, with the most recent coming in Wednesday’s crushing loss to the rival Blue Jays.

Despite all of that, Casey is convinced that 2025 is just another blip in a series of blips — and that he’s set to play a key role for the Yankees.

“I’ve got a shortstop that has (54) RBIs, and we still have a second half to play? And he’s on pace for 18 to 20 homers, and he’s going to play Gold Glove shortstop?” Casey said.

“I’m going to take that.”