New York Yankees’ highly anticipated prospect, Anthony Volpe, made his major league debut on the 2023 MLB season opening day.
Anthony Volpe is a highly touted prospect in the New York Yankees organization, drafted in the first round of the 2019 MLB Draft. Since then, he has been on the radar of baseball analysts and fans alike, who are in awe of the new kid on the block. He aced the spring training, which earned him a spot on the Yankees’ opening-day lineup.
The kid did well in his debut as he stole a base coming way down in the batting order. Moreover, in the coming games as well, Anthony Volpe registered good offensive numbers. However, his defense still remains an issue. Hence, the fans wonder if Volpe would actually live up to the pre-season hype in his debut season. After all, he is just 21 years old.
Anthony Volpe Likely To Have A Much Better Season Compared To Projections, Claims American League Executives
New York Yankees’ top debutant, Anthony Volpe, had a good run so far in the 2023 season. In 17 at-bats, he’s scored .176 with two runs, three hits, and three stolen bases. It’s highly impressive for a 21-year-old debutant batting at 9th down the order. However, how long the shortstop will be able to sustain remains to be seen. Meanwhile, another top prospect in the Cardinals, Jordan Walker, is making his major league debut this season and facing the same dilemma.
Hence, MLB.com conducted a survey and asked the top 20 American League executives to predict who amongst the two debutants would have a better season. While 75% voted for Volpe, 25% stood for Jordan. Overall, the executives seemed optimistic about Anthony Volpe’s potential. While he is still a young player with a lot of development ahead of him, his strong hitting ability, defensive skills, and discipline at the plate, all thing come together well for his future in the Yankees organization. For what it’s worth, Volpe is still a young player, only 20 years old at the time of writing. Hence, the room for development is plenty.
Volpe Sacrificed College To Live His Yankee Dream
After passing out high school at Delbarton School in New Jersey, Anthony Volpe got selected into one of the country’s finest colleges, Vanderbilt University. However, just before his freshman year, the New York Yankees came up with an offer. For a teenage Volpe, choosing between college and his ultimate dream was a tough one. But the Yankees remain persistent. Hence, the then-general manager of the team, Jim Hendry, personally went to Anthony’s place to have a one-on-one conversation.
Yankees scouting head Damon Oppenheimer appeared on a YES Network podcast and shared insights on Jim’s conversation with Volpe’s parents. Jim did not mince his words and just sealed the deal with one line. He said, “If you (Anthony Volpe) wanna be a Yankee, this is your chance.” That’s all it took for Volpe to forego his college education and live the ultimate dream of donning the pinstripes.
