Anthony Volpe perhaps has been the only good thing for the New York Yankees to happen in 2023. Otherwise, the Bronx Bombers had an awful season this year. A lot of players need to leave the roster to make space for quality players. But if there is one player who the Yankees can feel happy about, it is Anthony Volpe. This rookie really impressed everybody in 2023, even though his team was going through a rough patch. However, Volpe went through his fair share of ups and downs this season.
Albeit, his defensive skills were pretty impressive. Moreover, Anthony Volpe became the first Yankees rookie to join the 20-20 club. Hence, he was not that bad offensively. Nevertheless, he was much more consistent defensively. Moreover, the Yankees can certainly depend on this rookie for the long term. At least, that’s how impressive he has been. On top of that, he won something recently that no other Yankees rookie ever won before. On Sunday night, Anthony Volpe won the American Gold Glove.
Anthony Volpe Won Gold Glove And Became The First Yankee To Do So
The Yankees organization must be really proud of him as he is their first rookie to take home the award. Moreover, the Yankees manager Aaron Boone mentioned that it is a very big deal to win the award at shortstop, such a premium position like that. Anthony Volpe sure answered all his critics regarding whether he’s capable of sticking at shortstop for a longer term. For the American League award, AV beat two veteran stars like, Corey Seager and Carlos Correa. On the other hand, Dansby Swanson of the Chicago Cubs at Short Stop won the NL Award. Francisco Lindor of the New York Mets was a finalist for that category.
As per MLB.com, Anthony Volpe also became the youngest shortstop to win the award. He surpassed Alan Trammell in 1980. On the other hand, Volpe joined his childhood hero Derek Jeter to become the second Yankee to win the honor of a Gold Glove. According to FanGraphs, among AL shortstops, Volpe finished second as he saved 15 Defensive Runs. Moreover, as per Baseball Savant, Anthony Volpe tied for sixth with one Out Above Average. On top of that he made as many as 17 errors. But he compensated his lack of arm strength with his baseball instincts.
The Bronx Bombers Look To Turn Things Around Next Season
Moreover, the NY side had their worst season in the last three decades. Albeit, they maintained a season winning record with 82-80, it was nothing short of a tremendous shame. They realized they needed some significant changes in the personnel. Moreover, the Yankees are looking to bring changes to the analytics department, coaching management, and the player’s roster.
In short, the 27-time World Series champions want to reach the World Series for the first time since 2009. That was the last time they won the World Series. But in 2023, they failed to make the postseason for the first time since 2016. In the last few years, they made the postseason but could not go very far. However, the team wants to utilize the extra month of the offseason they got this year to full use.
