Anthony Volpe makes New York Yankees’ Opening Day roster
New York Yankees top prospect Anthony Volpe has made the squad’s Opening Day roster, The Athletic’s Brendan Kuty was first to report Sunday.
Volpe, 21, is amongst the most highly touted MLB prospects in the entire league. The shortstop was ranked as the fifth-best prospect in the sport, according to MLB.com. Now, there is a very good chance that Volpe is the Yankees’ Opening Day starting shortstop.
He’ll likely fill the shoes of Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who wasn’t particularly spectacular in 2022. Kiner-Falefa will likely shift toward a utility role. The starting shortstop position is now between a trio of youngsters for the pinstripes: Oswaldo Cabrera, Oswald Peraza and Volpe.
Volpe is being rewarded for his strong Spring Training play. In 17 games, the New Jersey product has scored 33 total bases (16 hits) and three home runs. Throw in a 1.064 OPS, and Volpe has had a strong statistical makeup this spring.
“We came into camp with an open competition,” said Yankees Senior Vice President and General Manager Brian Cashman. “The obvious exclamation point here is Anthony Volpe, came into camp and took this position… he has earned the right to take that spot for the New York Yankees as we open the 2023 season.”
It’s gotta be a dream for a guy like Volpe to get this kind of news after only playing 21 games in Triple-A. That’s right, only 21 games! The shortstop has shot up the boards and worked his way through the minor leagues in no time.
When manager Aaron Boone told Volpe, it seemed like he was too stunned to speak.
Talk about a quick trip through the minors. Volpe was the Yankees’ first-round pick (30th overall) out of high school in 2019 at 18-years-old. What makes it even more impressive is that there was no minor league season in 2020. In 2021, he went from Low-A to High-A ball. At the start of the 2022 season, it was a quick trip through Double-A before making the quick trip up to the big leagues in 2023. This whole situation reminds me of how fast Dansby Swanson made it through the minors on his way to Atlanta.
Volpe will look to produce in a strong Yankees lineup. New York hasn’t had a long-term answer at shortstop since Derek Jeter retired. Maybe Volpe is the answer.
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