Anthony Volpe, the New York Yankees' starting shortstop, made a public appearance Monday night with Elle Jowett at the Willow Gala, prompting a surge of reaction from fans on social media.
A video posted by the YES Network showed Volpe and Jowett posing with teammate Carlos Rodón and his wife, Ashley, at the gala, an event held by Rodón’s foundation. In the clip Volpe placed his arm around Jowett as the four posed for photos at the silent auction fundraiser, which supported infertility and pregnancy loss.
The appearance set off a flurry of comments from Yankees followers, with posts on social platforms questioning and congratulating the shortstop. “Chat who is this girl?!,” one fan wrote, while another posted, “Well he’s winning off of the field… that’s for sure.” Several observers noted the pair follow each other on Instagram; Ashley Rodón and Chase Carter — the wife of center fielder Cody Bellinger — were among those who have interacted with Jowett on social media, according to public posts.
Jowett, who has described herself in a past street interview as a student newly arrived in New York from Maine, maintains an active social media presence. Her accounts show a substantial following, with more than 1.3 million likes on TikTok and roughly 16,300 followers on Instagram. A TikTok posted by Jowett in June appeared to show her in the stands at Yankee Stadium.
Volpe, 24, is in his third major-league season and has faced a challenging year on the field. He is hitting .207 with an OPS of .665 and has 19 home runs. Defensively, he leads the American League with 19 errors. Manager Aaron Boone has continued to name Volpe the club’s shortstop as the Yankees approach the postseason.
The Yankees have had a stronger stretch recently, going 7-3 in their last 10 games and sitting 4.5 games ahead in the American League wild-card race. New York is scheduled to host the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday as part of a three-game homestand.
Representatives for Volpe and Jowett did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Tuesday. The public appearance at a charity event follows a season in which Volpe’s on-field struggles have been widely discussed, but the team’s recent results have kept them in position for October play.
The Willow Gala appearance is the most visible sign to date of a possible relationship between Volpe and Jowett; neither player has made a formal statement about their status. The Yankees continue to balance on-field performance and off-field attention as they pursue playoff positioning in the closing weeks of the season.