Yankees’ Anthony Volpe turning into a ‘special player’ with both bat, gloves
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Follow UsThe impressive hitting streak of Anthony Volpe has ended but his impact on the Yankees continues.
His remarkable 21-game hitting streak came to an end a little over halfway through the Yankees’ West Coast trip. However, the streak’s conclusion did not diminish the significant impact Anthony Volpe has made on the team during his second year in the big leagues, according to manager Aaron Boone.
Boone praised the young shortstop’s outstanding performance on both offense and defense, describing him as “turning into a really special player.” While Aaron Judge and Juan Soto garnered most of the attention during the 10-day, nine-game trip through California, where the Yankees went 7-2 to enter Monday with the best record in baseball, Anthony Volpe consistently produced from the top of the lineup, keeping his hot streak alive.
“He’s playing like a stud on both sides of the ball,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “Just turning into a really special player.”
The 23-year-old capped off the trip by going 2-for-5 with a clutch RBI triple that helped fuel the Yankees’ ninth-inning comeback win over the Giants on Sunday. Anthony Volpe explained his approach, saying he wanted to have a good at-bat, get a pitch he could handle, and pass it on to Soto, Judge, and the rest of the team.
“I just wanted to have a good at-bat, get a pitch I could handle and pass it on to Soto and Judge and the rest of the guys,” he said. “Simple approach.”
This simple approach has paid major dividends for Anthony Volpe. Over his past 25 games, he is batting .324 with a .890 OPS and four triples. On the season, through 60 games, Anthony Volpe’s batting average stands at .284 with a .792 OPS.
While Anthony Volpe’s hitting streak may have ended, his impact on the Yankees continues to grow. Boone’s high praise and Volpe’s consistent performance suggest that the young shortstop is emerging as a cornerstone for the team’s future success.
Anthony Volpe’s steady production fuels Yankees’ power
After a blazing start in the first two-plus weeks, followed by a three-week cool-off period, Anthony Volpe has spent nearly the last month providing steady production for the Yankees’ clicking lineup, according to teammate Aaron Judge.
Judge praised Anthony Volpe’s ability to use the whole field, stating it’s the “No. 1 thing that jumps off the chart.” He noted that in videos of the shortstop coming up through the minor leagues, he displayed a knack for hitting gap to gap, with some pop to the pull side and opposite field. Judge also remarked that they are finally seeing that this year, with Anthony Volpe driving the ball up the middle, to the right side, and with runners on base, regardless of the count.
“He starts the party for us at the top,” Judge said, referring to Anthony Volpe’s role as the leadoff hitter.
While the Yankees already have two of the game’s best players in Judge and Juan Soto, Anthony Volpe has joined them in the top 10 in fWAR through the first two-plus months of the season. Judge led the way at 4.0, with Soto second at 3.9, and Anthony Volpe just behind Shohei Ohtani in eighth at 2.8.
“He’s using the whole field — that’s the No. 1 thing that jumps off the chart,” Judge said. “That’s what I saw in all the videos when he was coming up through the minor leagues is gap to gap, have a little pop to the pull side and to the opposite field.
Judge commented on Anthony Volpe’s ongoing improvement, saying that he believed the baby Bomber was still getting better as the season progressed. He added that with more at-bats, his improvement would continue.
“Finally starting to see that this year where it doesn’t matter if there’s two strikes, first pitch of the game,” Judge said. “He’s driving the ball up the middle, driving it to the right side, doing it with guys on base. He starts the party for us at the top.”
Judge stressed the significance of Anthony Volpe’s well-rounded skillset, explaining that when Volpe utilized the entire field and his speed, he became one of the best shortstops in the league. He expressed his satisfaction about having Anthony Volpe on the team and his delight about him batting before him and Soto.
“When he uses the whole field and he uses his speed, he is one of the best shortstops in the game.” Judge said. “We’re lucky to have him and I’m happy he’s hitting in front of Juan and I.”
Although Anthony Volpe’s 21-game hitting streak ended Thursday – making him only the second Yankee at 23 or younger to achieve a hitting streak of 20-plus games, joining Joe DiMaggio – the shortstop’s career-high 29-game on-base streak matches Aaron Judge’s.
After winning Gold Glove honors as a rookie last season, Anthony Volpe’s defense has continued evolving, on full display during Wednesday’s win over the Angels. He made a diving play to his right, firing a one-hop throw to Anthony Rizzo for an out that helped Luis Gil escape an inning.
According to Gil, Anthony Volpe has been “tremendous” and is “making things happen in the box and defensively” while “doing everything right.” His all-around excellence at both plate and in the field has the 23-year-old emerging as one of MLB’s bright young stars.
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