Being the starting shortstop for the New York Yankees comes with some massive expectations.
Ever since the retirement of Derek Jeter, there has been a huge void to fill at the position. The Hall of Famer played all 20 years of his career in pinstripes, racking up numerous awards and accolades along the way.
The most important one was the five World Series championships he helped the team win.
Anthony Volpe is hoping one day that he too can help lead New York back to the mountaintop that he saw them reach as a fan growing up in New York and attending high school at Delbarton School in Morristown, New Jersey.
While working his way through the minor league system, there were some whispers that the 2019 first-round pick out of high school could be the next superstar infielder for the team.
Only two years into his career, he already has had some memorable moments that will live on forever, such as the grand slam he hit in the World Series this past October against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
To this point, hearing the fans chant his name later in the game is No. 1 on his career highlights. He is hoping to add to that highlight reel as he prepares for his third season as the starting shortstop for the Yankees.
And based on how things have gone this offseason, he could the longest tenured starting infielder come Opening Day.
First base has a new face with Paul Goldschmidt replacing Anthony Rizzo.
At second base, Gleyber Torres moved on in free agency, signing with the Detroit Tigers after spending seven campaigns in New York, with Jazz Chisholm Jr. expected to slide back over to the keystone after playing third base upon his arrival ahead of the trade deadline.
Third base it is anyone’s guess right now who will start. DJ LeMahieu, Oswaldo Cabrera and Oswald Peraza are all in the running for the job.
Despite those changes, all eyes will be on Volpe, who has had some incredible highs, such as winning the Gold Glove Award as a rookie, and some lows.
A leadoff hitter for large chunks of the season, his inconsistencies at the plate led to him being moved down at points by manager Aaron Boone.
Finding consistency at the plate is something the team would certainly like to see more of from Volpe, who has a career slash line of .228/.288/.373 in 1,290 plate appearances.
There have been some torrid stretches of production for him at the plate, but unfortunately just as many times that he has gone ice-cold.
His manager acknowledge that Volpe isn’t close to being a finished product yet, but is hopeful the work put in will help iron out some issues.
“We talked a lot about Anthony all year,” Boone said via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. “We talked about some of the mechanical adjustments he made going into the season that worked, then he struggled, had his ups-and-downs offensively. I think I maintained all along, though, that I think [he is] just not a finished offensive product yet.
“I think the different adjustments and things he’s done are going to serve him well in the end, and we are going to look up in several seasons and we’re going to see a really good offensive player.”
Volpe possesses some incredible skill, hitting 33 home runs with 50 doubles, 11 triples and 52 stolen bases. He did a better job of not striking out in Year 2 than he did as a rookie, as he is showing progress.
If he can figure things out with more consistency, he is a true breakout candidate in 2025.
