Forget about Gerrit Cole, Juan Soto, Aaron Judge, and everyone else. Anthony Volpe is the newest superstar to emerge from the New York Yankees.
Volpe added two more hits in the Yankees’ 3-0 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday, continuing his wild start to the season. With this, the 22-year-old shortstop, who is now batting a scorching, has 11 hits in seven games.423 with an OPS of 1.154.
Following a respectable, although somewhat underwhelming, rookie season in 2023, Volpe is beginning to live up to the anticipation. He was a previous first-round selection who entered the league with the unachievable goal of being the next Derek Jeter.
With 21 home runs, 24 stolen bases, and a Gold Glove, Volpe’s skill was clear. But there were still gaps in his game, as evidenced by his 27.8% strikeout percentage and batting line of.209/.283/.383.
He was not Jeter.
As MLB commentator Harold Reynolds noted on Friday’s MLB Tonight, Volpe made some noticeable adjustments this summer. After all, baseball is all about adjustments.
Reynolds saw a little but noteworthy shift in Volpe’s swing.
During the pitcher’s release in 2023, Volpe was standing too straight and dipping down; now, he has broken that poor habit and replaced it with a more load-action-oriented stance. This gives him additional strength and maintains his head motion, which improves his vision and consistency of contact with the ball.
Unsurprisingly, Volpe’s total performance has increased in 2024.
He’s hitting the ball harder, walking more, and striking out less. Even though the season is still early, his rapid start doesn’t seem to be a coincidence given the obvious underlying shift in his mechanics.
Now that he’s had a full season of MLB experience under his belt, Volpe is developing into the MVP-caliber player that New York had hoped for. He has a more refined swing and a more responsible approach at the plate.
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