Volpe committed to Vanderbilt before his senior year at Delbarton High School in Morristown, New Jersey.

Anthony is an excellent student.

Volpe and his teammates had delivered on their promise to each other and won a state championship. That team also featured RHP Jack Leiter, and the son of former New Jersey governor, Chris Christie.

Evaluators always praise the way Anthony goes about playing baseball. He has an excellent work ethic. He is able to slow the game down. He's got a high baseball IQ. Volpe doesn’t overwhelm with tools or physicality, but he plays an extremely sound game both offensively and defensively.

Anthony has shone under the spotlight against advanced competition, including for Team USA's gold medal-winning 18-and-under team in the fall of 2018 and then for Delbarton when they competed at USA Baseball's National High School Invitational in the spring of 2019.  Volpe is said to run well with good instincts on the bases and defensively. Scouts especially like Volpe’s makeup and work ethic, speaking highly of his bat control.  (Hoch - mlb.com - 6/3/19)

June 2019: The Yankees chose Volpe in the first round (#30 overall), out of Delbarton High School in Morristown, New Jersey. He signed with scout Matt Hyde.  

"It was the hardest decision of my life, to pass up the college experience and being part of a team that could win the college championship," Anthony said. "But the opportunity to play for the New York Yankees, who I've dreamed about playing for my entire life . . . once it hit me, I was really excited and ready to put everything I possibly could, not look back or have any regrets. I just want to get back here to win games." 

Volpe's bonus is $2,740,300, more than the $2,365,500 slot value assigned to the pick. 

"I'd say I'm someone that will do everything humanly possible to help the team win on any given day," Volpe said. "I'll lay down a bunt, I'll steal a base, whatever the team needs. You can count on me being that guy that will do my best to help the team."   (Hoch - mlb.com - 6/10/19)

Matt Hyde has been patrolling the Northeast as a Yankees scout since 2005.

"I've never been more comfortable signing a player than I was about signing Anthony Volpe," he said. "I've never been so confident."

In 2020, the Baseball America Prospect Handbook rated Volpe as the 6th-best prospect in the Yankees organization. He dropped to #17 a year later, early in 2021. But he jumped all the way to #1 Yankees prospect in the spring of 2022. And he stayed at #1 in the winter before 2023 spring training.

July 2021: Figuring out the expectations for Volpe entering the season was fraught with difficulty. First, his 2019 season, spent at Rookie-level Pulaski, was underwhelming. It was also clouded by a bout of mononucleosis, which meant nobody could be truly sure how close to full strength Volpe was playing.

Then, the 2020 season happened. It was difficult for the sport as a whole, but Volpe was not invited to the Yankees’ alternate training site and the team did not hold a domestic instructional league. Any development for Volpe happened remotely.

Once minor league spring training began, evaluators immediately tabbed the Yankees’ 2019 first-rounder as a player who stuck out from the pack. They noted his bat-to-ball skills, instincts on the diamond and intangibles, in particular.

Those positive reviews haven’t stopped. He was excellent during his opening term in the Low-A Southeast and has continued barreling the baseball in a stint at High-A Hudson Valley. The reviews, both internally and externally, have vaulted Volpe to the No. 2 spot in the Yankees’ system, behind only toolsy teenager Jasson Dominguez. (Baseball America - Aug 2021)

2021 Season:  The 2019 first-rounder was believed to have average to above-average skills across the board but showed more than that with turns at Low-A Tampa and High-A Hudson Valley.

The 20-year-old shortstop led all qualified full-season Minor Leaguers with his 1.027 OPS and 170 wRC+. He was one of only three players with at least 25 homers and 25 stolen bases, and he didn’t slow down much either with a .286/.391/.587 line in 55 games at the higher level. His place as the top prospect in the Yankees system is secure.

 From the first day of minor league spring training in 2021, scouts buzzed about Volpe’s combination of skills, instincts and makeup. They never stopped singing his praises.

Dec 7, 2021:  Volpe enjoyed a stellar return to the diamond this past season, boosting him to the top spot on the Yankees' Top 30 Prospect list. While the organization has high hopes for his future, the standout shortstop is carrying a measured approach into the 2022 campaign.

"I don't really pay too much attention to the stuff outside of my control," Volpe said on YES Network. "It's definitely an honor and one I don't take lightly, but at the same time, I just want to be the best player I can possibly be. Whether that's an unranked bottom-of-the-order prospect or where I am now, the Yankees' No. 1 prospect, I think I still have a long way to go to reach my potential."

General manager Brian Cashman has pointed to shortstop as an unsettled area of need this offseason. While the club engaged the free-agent and trade markets, the 20-year-old Volpe's rising status is part of the equation when considering future moves. MLB Pipeline rated Volpe as the No. 15 prospect in all of baseball.

"He had a very impressive year," Cashman said. "He certainly caught the attention of the entire industry. It really reinforces and justifies everything we heard from our amateur department when we drafted him, and so we're excited about his future."

Volpe said his friends occasionally send him news clippings from the Hot Stove, but he's primarily focused on being healthy and ready for 2022 Spring Training. Volpe said that in 2022, he'd like to improve his ability to hit breaking balls and his arm strength from the shortstop position.

"I'm working really hard to get ready and be in the best shape, best mental, everything for Spring Training," Volpe said. "I think I'd be doing my trainers and my teammates that I'm working out with a disservice if I was reading into stuff like that." (B Hoch - MLB.com - Dec 7, 2021)  

Feb 22, 2022: Anthony has been turning heads for nearly a decade, dating back to when hopefuls at a development facility in Harrisburg, Pa., would speak in hushed tones about the sure-handed shortstop already fielding recruitment inquiries from Team USA.

“Oh my gosh, I thought he was like the best player ever,” said Yankees prospect Beck Way, who attended those workouts alongside his future teammate. “Super quick, super fast, hitting home runs. I’m older than him, and he’d play on our team and hit on these fields. As a 12-year-old, he fit right in. That shows a lot. If he could do that at 12, he’ll be able to compete at any level.”

That is still the prevailing belief, especially in Yankees camp. Volpe, who turns 21 on April 28, is among the up-and-comers participating in the Yanks' minicamp at their player development complex, laying the groundwork for the Minor League season ahead.

“I don’t think any 20-year-old is close to as good as he can be,” Volpe said. “So I’m just working on every little thing, everything that will hopefully make me better.”

A jump to Double-A Somerset seems within reach, and Volpe’s big league ETA has been widely forecasted for 2023 -- no small consideration, considering that the Yankees’ Opening Day shortstop for ’22 still hasn’t been cemented. Dillon Lawson, the Yanks’ new hitting coach, raves about the consistency of Volpe’s swing.

“It plays against such a large array of pitchers, whether it’s a righty or lefty from over the top or from the side,” Lawson said. “He can handle the fastball, so he can handle off-speed pitches. It isn’t just a high floor, there’s a high ceiling that goes with that, and he plays at such a high level all the time.”

Volpe said that he models his game against the likes of Francisco Lindor, Carlos Correa and Trevor Story, but he isn’t ready to fantasize about playing against those established stars just yet.

“It’s pretty tough to think about, because I’m so happy being in the present moment,” Volpe said. “Just seeing the guys again after a long offseason, it’s tough for me personally to think about stuff like that so far in the future.”

Volpe comes across as confident and polished, his eyes set upon the challenges ahead of him, conscious of expectations. 

Mononucleosis limited Volpe to 34 games in ’19, and the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out his ’20 campaign -- “It’d be 7 o’clock and I’d be sitting at the dinner table, wishing that I was running onto the field,” he recalls -- but Volpe used that downtime to build muscle.

“I think I learned a lot in 2021 about what it takes to play a full season in pro ball,” Volpe said. “I feel like I have a lot of stuff to build on, and a lot of stuff that I learned that I can lean on this year. I’m super excited to get going.” To that end, Volpe visited the Wake Forest campus this past offseason, introducing plyometric exercise to his regimen in hopes of boosting arm strength. So far, he said, his offensive and defensive work have come across with much less effort.

There are obvious comparisons to be made between Volpe and another Yankees shortstop of the past -- after all, Derek Jeter was a Yanks diehard, had New Jersey ties and arrived in New York after being a celebrated first-round Draft pick -- but Volpe shrugs those off. Sure, he’d love to have a career like Jeter’s, but Volpe is setting his focus upon blazing a fresh trail.

“If you grew up a Yankees fan like me, there’s never been another Jeter,” Volpe said. “I’m just trying to be the best version of myself. I don’t think anyone will ever compare to what he did.” (B Hoch - MLB.com - Feb 22, 2022)

July 2022: Volpe represented the Yankees at the All-Star Futures Game in Los Angeles.

2022 Season: Volpe, 21, has spent three minor league seasons in the Yankees organization (2019, ‘21-22), hitting .262 (274-for-1044) with 218R, 77 doubles, 13 triples, 50HR, 162RBI, 166BB and 89SB in 275 games. In 132 combined games with Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this past season, he hit .249 (127-for-511) with 86R, 35 doubles, 5 triples, 21HR, 65RBI, 65BB and 50SB.

The right-handed hitter led Yankees farmhands in hits, doubles, XBH (61), total bases (235) and stolen bases, while ranking second in runs scored and homers, tied for second in RBI, tied for fourth in triples and fifth in walks. Volpe was the only player in the minors to record at least 20HR and 50SB, becoming the first player to accomplish the feat since Andruw Jones in 1995.

Following the season, he was tabbed by Baseball America as the No. 1 prospect in the Yankees organization and No. 14 prospect in baseball. Additionally, the publication labeled him as the “Best Hitter for Average” and “Best Strike-Zone Discipline” in the Yankees system. Volpe was also ranked by MLB Pipeline as the No. 5 overall prospect in baseball and was named an Organization All-Star by MiLB.com.  (Mark Healey - February 7, 2023)

Volpe has also continued to wow coaches with his work ethic and desire to improve.

“He’s an incredible leader,” Migliaccio said. “His teammates respect him. The coaches respect him.”

Migliaccio said that the attention to detail in Volpe’s pregame work has stood out.

So has his ability to block out the noise. In the offseason, the Yankees doubled down in their belief in Volpe when they passed on free agent shortstops Carlos Correa, Corey Seager and Javier Baez. That signaled big things to a fan base yearning for its next Derek Jeter.

“I think if you were asking him or anybody in our organization,” Migliaccio said, "he probably produced as we hoped, but as he expected. In the areas that we asked him to get better at, they kind of come with asterisks because he does so many things well." (Brendan Kuty - Baseball America - Oct., 2022)

March 25, 2023: Anthony has continued to impress in his spring battle to be the Yankees’ Opening Day shortstop. Now, it’s time for the club's top prospect to answer some tough questions that only a New Jerseyite can, such as: Pork Roll or Taylor Ham?  

Volpe has excelled on both sides of the ball, remaining in competition to crack the Bombers’ Opening Day roster into the final week of camp. Volpe chatted with MLB.com in the home dugout at George M. Steinbrenner Field about his chances of making the big league squad, Willie Randolph’s impact and a variety of other topics.

March 2023 Q&A:

How would you describe the experience of being in this big league camp? Just a ton of fun with it being my first camp and being around the rest of the team and the rest of the coaching staff. It's just been a blast.

Now, when you first came to camp, one of the first things you said was that it meant a lot to sit with Willie Randolph on the bench and talk with him. How has Willie helped you, and what is the most impactful thing he's told you here? I think every little detail Willie has helped me with -- talked to me, worked on the field. [It] has been, definitely, the highlight of my camp. But I think just being around him and seeing how passionate he is, just the stories he has — it's just a great experience every time he's there.

What’s the best advice he’s given you so far? I think me kind of transitioning and playing a little bit of second base, he's definitely helped me a lot. Just giving me little pointers about work around the bag, just the different angles between second base and shortstop. He came up as a shortstop, too, so it's just little things like that.

You grew up as a Yankees fan. How did your fandom develop? I've never really had a choice. It was kind of all or nothing since I could remember. But my parents and grandparents and my whole family are super big Yankees fans. And I definitely got lucky growing up and being able to go to a couple games and really not having a choice, but then falling in love with the team myself.

What’s the impact your parents have had on your career so far? Huge. I think baseball is one thing, but [in] the rest of my life, they're my role models. I'm super, super grateful to have amazing parents and super selfless parents.

Last year, you told me you went to a few games at Yankee Stadium in that 2009 season when they won the World Series. What was that like? What do you remember from that?

I just remember it was a really fun season. It was the first year in the new Yankee Stadium. So it was kind of bittersweet, I guess, between me being excited to just go to a new stadium and my dad kind of being angry that they closed the old one. But yeah, I remember that; so many walk-off wins that year. And it was just a fun year. And then, obviously, the playoffs and the World Series and everything like that. I didn't get to go to any playoff games. But I got to go to the parade, which is pretty cool.

What do you remember about the parade? There was just so much toilet paper. I was little; me and my sister were little. We weaseled our way into the front of the gates. And it was just a really fun day. We got to skip school.

Derek Jeter was your guy on that team. If you could take one attribute from Jeter and apply it to your career, what do you think you would take?

I think his consistency and how reliable and how respected he was because of, probably, that consistency. I know a lot of hard work definitely went into that. But he just seemed like the guy that the Yankees always wanted to have up and the other team always didn't want to have up. So I would definitely love to emulate that in my game.

You’ve worn No. 7 in the Minors, you’re wearing No. 77 this spring. What is the significance of that number for you? My grandfather was a huge Mickey Mantle fan. So when it came time when I was 7 or 8 years old to pick a number, he kind of pushed me toward that and I've stuck with it ever since.

Do you think you’ll stay with No. 77? Obviously, No. 7 is not available with the Yankees. We’ll see. I don’t really know how that works.

Tell me a little bit about growing up in New Jersey. Did you spend summers down the shore? What was the whole experience of being a New Jerseyite? New Jersey was great for baseball, and kind of very different than growing up in Manhattan, but I never really went down the shore just because I was never really home -- just playing baseball on the weekends growing up. It was kind of funny. The most I've ever been home for summer was this past summer playing in Double-A Somerset. So it was definitely cool to experience a summer in New Jersey.

What was that experience like? Just having so many friends and family around and coming out to the ballpark? It was amazing. I definitely got to connect with a lot of people that I maybe lost touch with throughout COVID and everything like that. So it was amazing to see the support from friends, family and the rest of the community, and like I said, reconnect with a lot of people.

All right, important New Jersey questions for you: Taylor Ham or Pork Roll? Taylor Ham, for me.

Bruce Springsteen or Bon Jovi? Springsteen.

What exit? 41 on [Interstate] 78.

What do you love about playing shortstop? I just love how in the mix you are. You're kind of the captain of the infield. I just think there's something to do every single pitch; honestly, regardless of your position, but I definitely like shortstop for that reason, especially.

What would you say is the best moment of your career so far? I'd say winning the gold medal for Team USA in high school and then winning those state championships. And then this past season, being a part of the Somerset team. We won the Eastern League championship; I wasn't there, but we won the Eastern League championship. So that was pretty cool.

Last question for you. Obviously, we don't know how the next week or so is going to go. But eventually you'll be at Yankee Stadium making your Major League debut. How do you think that'll feel? What do you think that'll mean for you and for your family?

Yeah, I don't know if I can necessarily even put it into words. I don't even know if I've really thought about it, per se. But I mean, that's what will make it all the better. I'll just try and take it all in and be in the moment and soak it all in. (B Hoch - MLB.com - March 25, 2023)

When he was in seventh grade, his father, Dr. Michael Volpe, a urologist, took him to a workout for kids who were considering attending Delbarton School, one of the area’s top private high schools. Volpe told Delbarton’s head coach, Bruce Shatel, that his son hoped to play at Stanford University.

Shatel then looked at Anthony, who was skinny and short, and mentally rolled his eyes. “I thought I was dealing with another Looney Toon dad,” Shatel said. “But to his credit, I think they knew better than me at the time that their boy was not going to be denied greatness.” Anthony started at shortstop for three of his four years at Delbarton.

Anthony Volpe started to convince the Yankees he was the real deal in 2017, when he was on the club’s Area Code amateur team. Matt Hyde, the Yankees’ lead Northeast area scout, said even back then, Volpe displayed two traits the Yankees considered vital to a winning player. The first was reliability in that he “showed up every day, came prepared, (and) came with a good attitude.” The other was availability, meaning that Volpe was “always there to pick up the clutch hit, there to steal a base.”

“Those were his superpowers,” Hyde said. “And he never takes a play off. That’s what makes him different from the rest.” “The dude works,” Yankees hitting coach Dillon Lawson said. “He’s extremely focused,” Lawson said. “He doesn’t shy away from the things he actually needs to improve on. From a coaching standpoint, that’s why you have so much confidence in him beyond just the talent level.” Drive around Watchung and you’d never know it was the home of the Yankees’ new starting shortstop. There aren’t any banners congratulating “A.V.,” which is what everybody here calls him.

Last summer (2022), Curt Dahl wanted to change that. The Watchung councilman wanted to host an “Anthony Volpe Day” or to give the shortstop a key to the city. After all, Volpe was being touted as one of the best prospects in the game and playing every day in front of friends and family at Double A in Somerset, just down the road. Dahl ran the idea past Volpe’s father, who reported back with bad news. 

“He says he feels like he hasn’t done anything yet,” Michael Volpe told Dahl.

Maybe Anthony Volpe will rethink it in December when he’s heading back down his winding driveway, turning past his Yankees-branded mailbox and on his way to yet another grueling workout, this one not aimed at becoming the shortstop in the Bronx, but at keeping the job for good. (Kuty - Mar 30, 2023 - The Athletic)

March 30, 2023: After winning the shortstop gig in spring training, New York Yankees top prospect Anthony Volpe made his major league debut on Opening Day.

He is the youngest shortstop to appear in a game for the Yanks since Derek Jeter did it as a 20-year-old kid in 1995.

When Volpe was drafted by the team in the first round with the 30th selection of the 2019 draft, it was emotional for his parents Isabelle and Michael Volpe. As the son of two parents with different ethnic backgrounds, Anthony is proud of his two cultures.

His mother, Isabelle, is a Filipino anesthesiologist. Originally from the Philippines, she grew up in the Asian country in a large household with six siblings, before moving to the United States.

The other half of his family, Anthony's father, Michael, also works in the medical field. Michael has pursued a successful career as a urologist and is of Italian origin.  (Lyndon Suvanto - Apr 06, 2023)

 Anthony Volpe was just about to make one of his first real big-league moves. It was the day before 2023 Opening Day and Volpe, fresh off being named the Yankees’ starting shortstop, was in a high-end Manhattan suit shop, getting fitted with attire to wear on his first road trips. As the 21-year-old went through his selections, he noticed the tailor making several phone calls. As Volpe was preparing to pay, the tailor told him to put away his wallet. Quietly and from afar, Aaron Judge had arranged to cover the bill. Volpe was stunned.

“It’s something personal that sticks with you forever,” he said.

Judge was shy when a reporter asked him about the gesture. Of course, nobody had done that for Judge when the slugger first broke into the big leagues in 2016. But to the Yankees’ captain, it just felt like a way to help make the rookie’s life a little bit easier and show him that people care.

“It’s just what you do,” Judge said.

It’s all been a part of the not-so-planned plan from Yankees veterans to make the prospect feel at ease when he’s in the clubhouse in the Bronx. There was the PS5 video game console Judge bought for Volpe in spring training after hearing Volpe talking about a soccer game they both love. Yankees coaches have placed Volpe in the same hitting group as Judge and Giancarlo Stanton so Volpe can soak in their expertise — and the attention to detail in their pregame work.

As Anthony Rizzo watches his teammates’ at-bats in the dugout, he often finds Volpe by his side. On Saturday night, Judge and center fielder Harrison Bader brought Volpe with them to Madison Square Garden to watch Game 3 of the Rangers’ first-round series against the Devils.

“I just want him to feel comfortable,” Judge said. “Talking to all of his other teammates in spring training, including the minor leagues, they’ve all said great things about him. So in my eyes, I want to get what they’ve seen from him in the past couple of years. I’ve got to get close with him. I’ve got to get to know him. I’ve got to make him feel welcome. I’ve got to do whatever I can and be a resource he can lean on and confide in — anything. It’s part of it. This is a team. We’re all in this together.”

Volpe said he hopes to do what Judge and Rizzo have done for him for the prospects who come next.

“Hopefully I’ll have that type of career they’ve had,” Volpe said, “but if I was ever in that position, I’d definitely want to pay those guys back for what they’ve done for me.” (Kuty - Apr 24, 2023- The Athletic)

Anthony spent an off day, June 12, at his childhood home in New Jersey with his parents, Yankees prospect Austin Wells, and some of his other former Double-A teammates to reminisce about what life was like before he became the team’s rookie starting shortstop. They ate his mom’s chicken Parmesan and watched old minor-league highlights. While watching the videos, Volpe noticed his stance had been a bit more closed and his bat was flatter in his setup.

Statistically, Volpe had been one of MLB’s worst hitters, ranking in the bottom 10 in various categories, but if his intuition is right, the rookie might have discovered what will get him out of his season-long slump.

“It was so small, but (Wells and I) both kind of noticed it and started talking about it,” Volpe said. “I think we both took a lot away from it.”

At the end of spring training, Steinbrenner said he told Volpe he wasn’t going to be the team’s shortstop for just a three-week trial period; it was his job for the season. But Volpe said he understands nothing is guaranteed and that he has to earn the starting job every day. A refined batting stance, he believes, might help him keep the job. (Kuty/Kirschner - Jun 14, 2023 - The Athletic)

A day after Anthony won the Yankees’ starting shortstop job, he received a surprise that perfectly encapsulated what the moment signified.

Inside an office at the team’s spring training complex in Tampa, Fla., Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner handed the phone to Volpe. On the line was Derek Jeter.

 Jeter told Volpe to embrace the expectations of being a Yankees shortstop while still remembering to enjoy the process. Three months after that phone call from his childhood favorite player, Volpe still can’t help but smile ear-to-ear.

“It was a goosebumps, crazy moment,” Volpe said. “What makes the Yankees the Yankees is how much of a family and how much of a legacy there is here and it’s a legacy the players before all of us have made for themselves. Him welcoming me and the whole organization welcoming me the way they have shows how special it is here.”

The parallels between Volpe and Jeter have been discussed ad nauseam. Two homegrown kids wanting to play shortstop for the Yankees and realizing their childhood dreams. 

Volpe on playing in major league baseball, “There are a lot of guys here who have really, really good stuff,” Volpe said. “They know how to use it on every pitch. Just look at our catchers compared to some of the catchers I faced in the minor leagues. These guys here can be pitching coaches on every single team in the major leagues. When you combine how smart catchers are on this level with the stuff that pitchers have, that’s the biggest difference.”

Yankees starter Nestor Cortes, who’s an avid card collector, routinely sits at his locker before games with a box cutter and opens packages of cards. Cortes has stacks of different baseball cards piled high and has a few valuable ones in his collection, like a 1-of-1 autographed Shohei Ohtani card. Recently at his locker, Cortes pulled an Anthony Volpe 1-of-1 Topps Elements of Excellence Super Auto from Bowman’s Best. When told he may be sitting on gold a few decades down the line, Cortes nodded but also provided realism over the future value of Volpe’s card.

“He’s gotta produce,” Cortes said. (Kirschner - Jun 26, 2023 - The Athletic)

Before the Yankees selected Volpe with the 30th pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, the shortstop was set to play baseball for Vanderbilt University alongside his high school teammate and close friend Jack Leiter. Volpe dreamt of winning multiple national championships in college for a team he had been committed to for over two years — before a dinner at a New Jersey steakhouse changed his life forever. Growing up, Volpe’s favorite player was Astros third baseman Alex Bregman. 

Bregman was adamant that he would not sign if he wasn’t selected in the first round. After getting picked in the 29th round, he went to LSU to improve his draft stock, and the Astros ended up drafting him with the second pick in 2015. Bregman’s backstory stuck with Volpe when it came time for him to choose between Vanderbilt and going pro.

Volpe traveled to Louisiana several times in middle school and high school to visit his parents’ family friends. While there, he practiced at the University of New Orleans and learned just how popular college baseball was in the South. He also saw how Bregman’s legend grew in a state obsessed with the LSU Tigers.

“Growing up in the Northeast, college baseball is not big,” Volpe said. “No one grows up having a dream school, especially growing up in the city. You don’t really have any radar of what college programs are good.” Yankees front office special assistant Jim Hendry took Volpe and his parents to Roots Steakhouse in Morristown, N.J., to discuss the upcoming MLB draft. But Hendry, a baseball lifer known in the industry for his infectious personality, was there to tell Volpe and his parents the Yankees were seriously considering drafting him. And a comparison, unbeknownst to Hendry at the time, may have swayed Volpe into becoming a Yankee.

“I’ve known Bregman forever from his LSU days. I love him,” Hendry said. “I told Volpe that if he went to school, he would come out super high like Alex and he would never be a Yankee because we don’t pick that high. I told him he reminded me of him coming out of high school because Bregman was put on this earth to win baseball games.”

Four years later, Volpe is now the Yankees’ shortstop for the foreseeable future. What stuck with Volpe from that steak dinner is how Hendry never pressured the then-18-year-old to sign with the Yankees if they were to select him in the draft. Hendry’s approach was instead to tell Volpe that no matter which option he chose, professional baseball was his future. But putting Volpe’s potential Yankees future in a realistic context swayed him to start his career out of high school.

“That’s why I felt like it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Volpe said. 

“The reasons I wanted to play at Vandy was to play for Coach (Tim) Corbin and get a chance to win a national championship. To me, the college experience and doing that type of stuff came secondary. When it became a baseball decision, comparing what I ended up getting in the minor leagues and the competition I was able to face and the development and the coaching, it’s very comparable to college. It’s kind of like, if you’re a doctor, you go to medical school. If you’re a lawyer, you go to law school. That’s kind of how it felt going into the minor leagues. To improve the way I felt like I needed to improve, I felt like getting a jumpstart would definitely do me good.” (Kirschner - Sep 1, 2023 - The Athletic)

Nov 5, 2023: Volpe was announced as the American League’s Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner at shortstop. Volpe is the first Yankees rookie to win a Gold Glove; just 15 rookies have won a Gold Glove before this year.

At 22 years and 156 days old on the final day of the regular season, Volpe also became the youngest shortstop to win the honor, surpassing Alan Trammell in 1980 (22 years, 228 days). (B Hoch - MLB.com - Nov 5, 2023)

Feb.,2024: Volpe said he has been working out at the team’s complex in Tampa, Fla., for about a month, where his focus has been on “different things I felt like I did well and didn’t do well with consistency, stuff like that. I’m trying to use all the resources in the organization. Everyone is helping out to help everyone improve.” Other players spotted recently working out at the Tampa complex include Aaron Judge, Oswaldo Cabrera, Nestor Cortes, Jasson Domínguez, DJ LeMahieu, Jonathan Loáisiga, Carlos Rodón, Marcus Stroman, Gleyber Torres and Austin Wells.

Volpe said that he was working out with Kyle Higashioka in Arizona when the Juan Soto trade was announced in December, calling the club’s offseason moves for Soto, Stroman and Alex Verdugo “exciting” but also “bittersweet,” considering the talent that the Yankees had to surrender.

“I know a lot of the guys are ready to go,” Volpe said. “All in all, at the end of the day, it’s a great opportunity for everyone.” (B Hoch - MLB.com - Feb 6, 2024)

The day before Anthony Volpe had a career-high four-hit game in a 5-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks, the only thing he was concerned about hitting was the toilet after missing Sunday’s game with an upset stomach. Volpe was spotted in Houston chugging Pedialyte, with saltines and pretzels stationed at his locker. 

“Really bad,” Volpe said when asked how he was feeling over the weekend.

Volpe added that he’s still not 100 percent through his illness but should be after “one more good night.” Even with the stomach bug running through him, Volpe delivered the kind of game the New York Yankees organization has expected of him since he emerged as a top prospect. He stuck with an outside slider that he shot into the right-field gap for a double; he blasted a 104 mph RBI single right back up the middle; he looped a base hit into center field; and he roped a low-and-inside curveball down the left field line for a double. Volpe also manufactured a Little League run with his speed on a play Arizona committed two errors on, which allowed the Yankees shortstop to score on a sac fly from first base.

But it’s Volpe’s at-bats that have generated the most buzz early in the season. Yankees manager Aaron Boone has said since the team reported to Tampa for spring training that Volpe is a “way better” hitter than what he was last year. Results can be fleeting this time of year given the sample size, but Volpe has controlled the zone better than at any point in his rookie season. In the four games he’s played, Volpe has just three swings-and-misses in the 87 pitches he’s seen. 

“His at-bats are just dangerous,” Yankees hitting coach James Rowson said. “They’re tough on opposing pitchers because he’s not giving you anything. He’s forcing you to make pitches for the entire at-bat which is difficult to do.” 

The changes to Volpe’s approach were noticeable right away to Yankees captain Aaron Judge when he saw him a few months ago at the team’s spring training complex. When he watched Volpe’s first batting practice and talked with him afterward about the evident swing changes, the first thought that popped into Judge’s head was, ‘Dang, he’s gonna have a great year.’

“The biggest thing in this game is it’s tough to be perfect in this game when you’re facing 99 (mph), off-speed and you’re facing so many different things,” Judge told The Athletic. “If you’re not in the zone for a long time, you got this (small) of a window. When you’re able to lengthen that window you have, so now even if I’m looking for 95 and he throws 97, if my bat path is back, I can still drop the ball to right field. If I’m sitting fastball and I get an off-speed pitch, I can still get some length with my bat to get through it. That’s what we’re seeing now. It’s almost like he’s ready for any pitch and he can cover everything because he’s in the zone early and long through.” (Kirschner - Apr 2, 2024 - The Athletic)

Aug. 1, 2024: The Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association (MLBPAA) announced that Anthony Volpe is the recipient of the Yankees‘ 2024 Heart and Hustle Award. This prestigious award is given annually to a current player who not only excels on the field but also best embodies the values, spirit, and traditions of baseball. 

Fathers of Yankee stars are dancing their way through New York’s postseason run: The Yankee dads’ popular dancing and chanting celebrations after each playoff clincher have gone viral. They’re the mastermind of Juan Jose Soto, who is the unofficial captain in the team’s family section overseeing all pump-up routines. 

“If something good happens Mr. Soto will put his arms up and everyone knows what that means,” said Michael Volpe, who is the father of the Yankees’ shortstop, Anthony Volpe. “He’s the head cheerleader.”

The Volpes, who are local to the area, come to a lot of Yankee home games and have gotten close to the Sotos and Gleyber Torres’ family — who also attend frequently — as a result. Jose Soto, who has always been animated in the stands, started upping the ante in the postseason, getting Michael Volpe and Eusebio Torres, Gleyber’s father, to join in his dance, which Jose said in Spanish is an “artistic presentation” of footwork and chants.

The Yankee Dads dance, Eusebio Torres said, has common elements from Latin American winter ball, making it “easy to catch the rhythm” for parents from those countries. Though Volpe, a urologist who lives in New Jersey, has held his own.

“We practice sometimes,” Jose Soto said, “Despite being American, (Volpe) dances it well.”

When the Yankees beat the Kansas City Royals in the AL Division Series, the trio of dads were on the field at Kauffman Stadium and decided they wanted to do their special dance there. They invited Oswaldo Cabrera’s father, Leobardo, who was nearby, to join in. The internet loved it. “There’s the Soto shuffle, well, this is the Soto wave,” Volpe said. 

Nothing has caught on like this. As close as this Yankees team is, the dads may rival it.

In Cleveland for the American League Championship series, the family section was dancing at Jose’s command after nearly every run. Then after losing late in Game 3, a few people suggested they wait until the win. When New York did clinch a World Series berth — thanks to Juan’s 10th inning home run — they danced and chanted over and over. And when they got down to where the team buses were, still high on the celebrations, the ever-growing group pulled together and busted out another dance, this time with Wayne Judge, Greg Wells and John Rizzo jumping with the camera rolling. 

Like the first video, the Dancing Yankee Dads drew significant online attention.

“I have patients coming in showing me the video saying we never knew Dr. Volpe had these moves,” Michael Volpe said. “Look, when your kid is in the World Series you lose your mind.”

Naturally, Anthony Volpe is less than enthused about his dad’s dance moves. “Hate them,” he said when asked for his thoughts. “It’s cool, I guess, that it’s with the rest of them, and they enjoy doing it. But in our family group chat, it’s just me and my sister just rolling our eyes.”

“I don’t know if we will be able to stop anyone,” Michael Volpe said. “I don’t know what other teams’ families are like, but this bond is incredible.” (Ghiroli - Oct 25, 2024 - The Athletic)

Oct. 29, 2024: In World Series history, only two Yankees have recorded multiple extra-base hits and four or more RBIs when facing elimination: Hall of Fame catcher Yogi Berra, who achieved this in New York’s Game 7 win over the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1956, and now Volpe in Game 4 against the same franchise.

Volpe has an impressive 60 grade hit tool, and has exceptional, 60 grade power, also. He’s gone all-in on the Yankees’ internal motto of “Hit Strikes Hard” and produces some of the highest quality at-bats in the organization. He controls the conflict from the moment he gets in the box and does not relent no matter the count. He shows no fear with two strikes and is content to foul off pitches until he gets something he can damage. 

Anthony is the purest hitter in the Yankees’ system, a title he comes by through an extremely mature approach that allows him to pick through pitches he doesn’t want until he gets something he can impact. Then he unleashes a powerful yet compact swing that produces hard line drives thanks to a swing path that keeps the barrel in the zone for a long time.

Scouts noticed a few early tweaks that might have gotten him a little off kilter in the early going. Notably, they saw a bigger stride and a higher hand-set than in years past. The former was causing unwanted head movement and the latter upset his timing and was causing him to work around pitches instead of through them. Once Volpe corrected those issues, he started looking like the 2021 version of himself. Multiple scouts brought up a weakness against spin from righthanders, which is among the final holes he’ll have to close before he’s ready to take over in the Bronx. (Josh Norris - Baseball America Prospect Handbook - Spring, 2023)

Left on his own for development in 2020 after the pandemic shut down the Minor League season and the Yankees didn't stage a domestic instructional league program, Volpe added significant strength and reworked his right-handed swing to allow him to hit balls harder and drive them in the air more easily. Once he was fully healthy, he made more consistent contact against all types of pitching and showed the patience to wait for pitches he can punish and to take walks when he doesn't get them. Originally projected as a hit-over-power type, he now looks capable of hitting .280 with 25-30 homers per season. (Spring 2022)

While Volpe isn't physically imposing, he's an advanced hitter with a compact right-handed swing. After posting an uncharacteristic 25 percent strikeout rate in his debut, he has made much more consistent contact during his first full season. And after initially projecting as a hit-over-power guy who might reach double digits in home runs once he added strength, he's now driving the ball more, hitting it harder than ever and looking like at least a 20-homer threat. (Spring 2022)

Whether he’s facing premium velocity, high spin or extreme changes of speed, Volpe stays balanced and on time, often resulting in a ball hit with authority. (Josh Norris - Baseball America Prospect Handbook - Spring, 2022)

Anthony's quick hands and short, compact righthanded stroke allow for hard line shots up the middle and to both gaps for lots of doubles and triples. And his power kicked in starting in 2021.

Anthony shines at bat, using a mature approach to work his way into advantageous counts and force pitchers to give him pitches to drive.

Scouts and opposing managers rave about Volpe’s combination of hitting ability and power, which helped him become the only player in the minor leagues with more than 25 home runs and more than 30 stolen bases, in 2021.

Volpe's across-the-board improvements turned him into one of the top prospects in baseball.

“He never hit cruise control,” top hitting coordinator Dillon Lawson said. “He constantly had a purpose for what he was doing and where he was going.

“Nobody predicted that he was going to put up these kind of power numbers,” Lawson said. “So I think that that was the initial surprise and most impressive part. The fact that he sustained that throughout the year is even more incredible. That’s really, really hard to do.”

While Volpe isn't physically imposing, he's an advanced hitter with a compact right-handed swing. After posting an uncharacteristic 25 percent strikeout rate in his debut, he has made much more consistent contact during his first full season.

And after initially projecting as a hit-over-power guy who might reach double digits in home runs once he added strength, he's now driving the ball more, hitting it harder than ever and looking like at least a 20-homer threat. (Spring 2021)

Anthony has an innate ability to square balls up and produce quality contact. He continues to get stronger and impacts the ball more, but he has the tools to hit for average.

Volpe's best tools are on the offensive side, where his bat-to-ball skills and burgeoning power potential stick out. Volpe worked hard over the shutdown to get stronger in order to reach the Yankees’ goal of increasing his average exit velocity. (Josh Norris - Baseball America - Sept. 2021)

More advanced than most teenagers at the plate, Volpe employs a compact right-handed swing and laces line drives from gap to gap. He struck out in 25 percent of his plate appearances during his debut, but he should make much more contact once he's healthy and gains more strength. He has some bat speed and could develop double-digit home run power, though he understands his focus is getting on base. (Spring 2020)

Anthony will never be described as a toolsy player, but he continues to go out and handle every aspect of the game with competence, particularly as a sound defensive shortstop. While power is unlikely to be a big part of Volpe’s game given his current physicality and raw power, he showed enough pop to at least keep teams honest.

Volpe grades out across the board with fringe-average or average tools

Anthony hits line drives. He has a short righthanded swing.

Anthony is a polished defender at shortstop. He makes all the routine plays, flashing impressive leather with soft hands and accurate throws. And his footwork is fluid. He is a 50 grade defender with a 45 grade arm.

Scouts are split about whether Volpe can remain at shortstop. Nobody believes he will be an elite defender at the position, but there are some who think he can be average and that his lack of standout arm strength can be mitigated by excellent instincts and a quick release. He has quick feet but his range at shortstop is average at best. (J. Norris - BAPH - Spring, 2023)

Volpe's offseason work before 2022 spring training with Yankees instructors and at Wake Forest helped him improve his arm strength and gave the organization even more confidence that he may be able to stick at shortstop.

Volpe's instincts help him play above his tools on the bases and at shortstop. He's a solid runner who recognizes and makes the most of opportunities to steal or take an extra base. Though his arm earns average to solid grades, he figures to stick at short because he has a good internal clock and a quick release. (Spring 2022)

Volpe's 50 grade arm is strong, but some say he may be best at second base. However, his exceptional makeup could help keep him at shortstop.

Anthony shows quick actions and instincts as well as solid hands and footwork, all of which make up for fringe-average range and a near-average arm boosted by strong accuracy and a solid internal clock. Scouts disagree about whether he can remain a shortstop, mostly because of his arm, but even his doubters acknowledge that his outstanding work ethic could help him work to increase his arm strength. (Josh Norris - BAPH - Spring, 2022)

Volpe's instincts and intelligence help him play above his tools on the bases and at shortstop. He's a solid runner who recognizes and makes the most of opportunities to steal or take an extra base. Though his arm earns average to solid grades, he figures to stick at short because he has a good internal clock and a quick release. He may not be the most tooled-up prospect, but he makes the most out of his ability and his work ethic has led to consistent improvement. (Sept. 2021)

Volpe's instincts help him play above his tools on the bases and in the field. Despite an average arm, he figures to stay at shortstop because he has quick hands and gets rid of the ball quickly. (Spring 2020)

Volpe has a nose for the ball. He is impressive, with present 60 grade defense, and a 50 grade arm on the 20-80 scouting scale.

Volpe has some effort to his delivery on throws across the diamond, but he has solid arm strength and a quick exchange that should allow him to stick up the middle. 

Volpe's instincts and overall feel for playing defense are extremely polished. He seems to make every play that comes to him—making the position look much easier than it actually is.

His high-effort playing style and feel for the game should allow him to get the most out of his solid-average set of tools while handling himself at a premium defensive position. 

Anthony has efficient footwork and gets around the ball well to put himself in solid positions to throw across the diamond, and he has no issues throwing from multiple angles, on the run or while turning a double play at second base. (Baseball America - May 2019) 

At 22 years, 156 days, he was the youngest shortstop to earn the Gold Glove. Yet to hear Yankees manager Aaron Boone tell it, he’s still getting better.

“If it’s possible, he’s maybe gone to another level defensively,” Boone said Saturday in his meeting with the Fox broadcasters. “I can’t believe how good he is at shortstop. He doesn’t have overwhelming tools. But his arm, because of his accuracy, is at least average. It’s never an issue because of his pre-pitch routine, his jumps, his range, the balls he gets to.” 

“He’s gotten better because he works his tail off at it,” infield coach Travis Chapman said. “He looks for every small little detail that might be an advantage. He’s willing to apply it. He’s willing to take risks.

“A lot of people talk about five tools. I’d say there’s six, with the intelligence, the baseball IQ. He excels at that. And he’s willing to put time in, listen and learn to anybody he thinks can help make him better.” 

Boone recalled that entering last season, some in the industry thought Volpe eventually might need to move to second base. It’s doubtful anyone thinks that anymore.

“He’s as good as it gets out there,” Boone said. (Rosenthal - Jun 12, 2024 - The Athletic)

GOLD GLOVER

Anthony has 55 grade speed.

He's a solid runner who's a threat to steal and take an extra base when the opportunity presents itself.

2021 Minors Season: Volpe joined the 20-20 club as he had 27 homers and 33 steals in combined low-A Tampa and High-A Hudson Valley.

In 2023, Anthony's strong instincts helped him swipe 50 bases total in the minors.

April 15, 2023: Volpe entered the Yankees’ home clash with the Twins ranking second on the team in stolen bases with three. The rookie shortstop doubled his stole bases tally on the season during the contest.

Volpe stole second base with ease during the fifth inning against the Twins. He later stole both second and third base in the eighth inning.

At 21 years and 352 days, Volpe became the youngest player in Yankees franchise history to steal at least three bases in a game. (Steve Zavala) 

He stole his 13th base and became the first Yankee to do so without getting caught, passing Joe DiMaggio’s total from 1936-38.  (Curt Bishop)