One of the top storylines heading into spring training is top Yankees prospect Anthony Volpe and when he’ll make his debut. In just three years, Volpe has gone from unknown to inside the top five in MLB’s top 100 prospect list. I don’t remember the last time the Yankees had a prospect on the rise that fast. The question now is when will Anthony Volpe make his Major League debut.
A Highly Accomplished Prospect
Heading into spring training, Anthony Volpe is ranked fifth inside MLB’s top 100 prospect list. The only prospects ahead of him are Gunnar Henderson, Corbin Carroll, Francisco Alvarez, and Jordan Walker. Henderson, Alvarez, and Carroll have already seen time with the Orioles, Mets, and Diamondbacks respectively. Since being picked in the first round out of high school, Volpe has so far lived up to his draft spot. Despite losing a year of development due to COVID, he has rocketed through the Yankees system in just three seasons.
In three minor league seasons, Volpe is hitting .263 with 50 home runs, 162 RBI, and an OPS of .881. In 2021, Anthony Volpe was awarded Minor League Hitter of the Year. For reference, he was picked over future stars like Julio Rodriguez, Adley Rutschman, and more. This past season, he participated in the MLB Futures Game at Dodger Stadium during All-Star week. He received two at-bats in that game, striking out twice. It’s been a while since the Yankees have seen a prospect have a meteoric rise from a previously unheralded prospect. The Watchung, New Jersey native is clearly on the Yankees and Major League Baseball’s radar now.
His Performance In Spring Training So Far
This spring, Volpe was invited to big league spring training as a non-roster player for the first time. So far, Volpe is batting .364 with one home run and an RBI and two stolen bases. The Yankees have also been trying to use him at different positions. They recently started him at second base in a game and he will also possibly see time at third base. No matter where he’s been on the field, Volpe has managed to get the Yankees attention with his defense as well.
What This Could Mean For Gleyber Torres
The Yankees use of him at second base could be the beginning of the end of Gleyber Torres in pinstripes. While Torres has been solid, he hasn’t been an all-star caliber player like he was in his first two seasons. Given how highly touted Volpe has become, it’ll be hard to keep him down in the minors much longer. Torres’s arbitration hearing should be a subtle hint of his future with the Yankees.
Coming Soon: The Volpe Era
Given how well Volpe has been performing, he’s making it very tempting for the Yankees to call him up. It’s almost as if he is determined to make the show out of his first spring training. The only reason the Yankees may send him back down is to manipulate his service time. It won’t be too much longer until the highly anticipated Anthony Volpe era begins in the Bronx. It may even begin right after the Yankees break camp.
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