Anthony Volpe skipped a step. He quickly evolved from a talented but unpolished rookie to — for want of a better term — a second-year veteran.
“I feel like I saw some guys my age do their thing, but not as fast,” Jose Trevino said. “He deals with the game on a different level.” [from last year], he is reacting to the adjustments he has made. It’s really fun to watch from my seat. ”
In Sunday’s competitive rubber match, which was filled with walks and errors, Volpe achieved the equivalent of a triple-double. He had three hits. He had two important stolen bases. And for the second day in a row, and the Yankees’ second straight win, he played a key defensive role as the Yankees defeated the Blue Jays, 8-3.
“What didn’t he do?” Giancarlo Stanton said when asked what impressed him about Volpe. “He was very defensive. He’s hitting the ball all over the field. He’s causing havoc on the other team’s bases.”
Stanton delivered the biggest blow in the Yankees’ three-game winning streak in their season-opening series against a 2023 playoff team. In a column a few days ago, I wondered how long the Yankees would be able to keep Stanton with Stanton, as his struggles from last year had affected him this season, as he had 13 strikeouts in 25 at-bats. But in Saturday night’s 9-8 win, he had three hits and a short-porch home run off the wall, and in the third inning Sunday he hit an unerring grand slam to give the Yankees a 5-1 lead.
For the Yankees, how good they get will depend on how much of a supporting cast they get with Aaron Judge and Juan Soto. Judge and Soto feel it is natural for him to excel, health permitting. But have the past few days shown that Stanton really has strengthened his lower back, balance, and is ready to compete?
Could Anthony Rizzo join that mid-major contender? DJ LeMahieu was on the field playing defense and running before Sunday’s game. Gleyber Torres has had long at-bats and hasn’t had much to show for it yet. Alex Verdugo and Austin Wells are left-handed hitters who have struggled so far this season.
But perhaps no player is more important in this situation than Volpe. What he means for his 2024 and what he means going forward. He has the potential to be the Yankees’ best all-around player, and not just in that sense at the plate.
“He’s starting to look like a complete, well-rounded, really good player,” Aaron Boone said.
Volpe had a tough rookie season, batting .209 and striking out in 27.9 percent of his at-bats. He focused on flattening his swing in the offseason to better grip the top fastball while using the entire field.
Last season, he pulled the ball in 45.6 percent of his at-bats with the ball in play. Two of his three singles on Sunday hit his right field seat, bringing his score to 26.9 this year. He struck out in just 18.1 percent of his at-bats. He is batting .424 with a 1.092 OPS through 10 games.
During a difficult 2023, Volpe won a Gold Glove Award and stole 24 bases, furthering his already strong feelings about his work ethic and composition in the clubhouse. But there is refinement, maturity, and growth in those areas as well. Volpe’s backhand and forceout on Jurassic Daniel Vogelbach’s second was vital to the Yankees’ inability to fully break a 9-2 lead on Saturday.
On Sunday, with the Yankees leading 6-3, Volpe made a sensational sliding stop, jumping out and throwing out Kevin Kiermaier to lead off the eighth and prevent the Blue Jays from launching another late-inning attack. Perhaps the best compliment you can give a defender is to ask your teammates who they would like to see hit the ball into the big spot. For now, I think Volpe might get the Yankees’ vote.
Also, by giving up a huge lead on Saturday, the Yankees were forced to use Ian Hamilton and Clay Holmes. Boone had hoped to sit out both Sundays. Volpe helped make that possible. He took the lead in the bottom of the 8th inning with a reverse field single, then stole second and third in the middle and scored the first of two Yankees insurance runs on target, increasing the lead from 6-3 to 8-3. pushed up.
“These little plays make a big difference,” Holmes said. “That’s the next step for him, a game-changing moment that not only impacts today’s game but also tomorrow’s game. That’s when you become even more valuable to the team. And obviously He has it in him.”
Volpe is a sophomore who plays like a senior. Also, he’s turning 23 in three weeks and has the air of a veteran in his second year.
