Get to know Yanks top prospect Anthony Volpe

TAMPA, Fla. — Anthony Volpe has continued to impress in his spring battle to be the Yankees’ Opening Day shortstop. Now, it’s time for the membership’s prime prospect to reply some robust questions that solely a New Jerseyite can, similar to: Pork Roll or Taylor Ham? 

Rated because the No. 5 total prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline, the 21-year-old Volpe has excelled on either side of the ball, remaining in competitors to crack the Bombers’ Opening Day roster into the ultimate week of camp.

Volpe chatted with MLB.com within the dwelling dugout at George M. Steinbrenner Field about his probabilities of making the massive league squad, Willie Randolph’s influence and quite a lot of different subjects.

How would you describe the expertise of being on this large league camp?

Just a ton of enjoyable with it being my first camp and being round the remainder of the workforce and the remainder of the teaching employees. It’s simply been a blast.

Now, while you first got here to camp, one of many first stuff you stated was that it meant lots to sit down with Willie Randolph on the bench and speak with him. How has Willie helped you, and what’s the most impactful factor he is instructed you right here?

I believe each little element Willie has helped me with — talked to me, labored on the sector. [It] has been, positively, the spotlight of my camp. But I believe simply being round him and seeing how passionate he’s, simply the tales he has — it is only a nice expertise each time he is there.

What’s the perfect recommendation he’s given you to this point?

I believe me type of transitioning and taking part in a little bit little bit of second base, he is positively helped me lots. Just giving me little pointers about work across the bag, simply the completely different angles between second base and shortstop. He got here up as a shortstop, too, so it is simply little issues like that.

Now, you grew up as a Yankees fan. How did your fandom develop?

I’ve by no means actually had a alternative. It was type of all or nothing since I might bear in mind. But my mother and father and grandparents and my entire household are tremendous large Yankees followers. And I positively obtained fortunate rising up and having the ability to go to a few video games and actually not having a alternative, however then falling in love with the workforce myself.

What’s the influence your mother and father have had in your profession to this point?

Huge. I believe baseball is one factor, however [in] the remainder of my life, they’re my function fashions. I’m tremendous, tremendous grateful to have superb mother and father and tremendous selfless mother and father.

Last 12 months, you instructed me you went to some video games at Yankee Stadium in that 2009 season after they received the World Series. What was that like? What do you bear in mind from that?

I simply bear in mind it was a very enjoyable season. It was the primary 12 months within the new Yankee Stadium. So it was type of bittersweet, I suppose, between me being excited to simply go to a brand new stadium and my dad type of being offended that they closed the previous one. But yeah, I keep in mind that; so many walk-off wins that 12 months. And it was only a enjoyable 12 months. And then, clearly, the playoffs and the World Series and every part like that. I did not get to go to any playoff video games. But I obtained to go to the parade, which is fairly cool.

What do you bear in mind in regards to the parade?

There was simply a lot bathroom paper. I used to be little; me and my sister had been little. We weaseled our means into the entrance of the gates. And it was only a actually enjoyable day. We obtained to skip college.

Derek Jeter was your man on that workforce. If you could possibly take one attribute from Jeter and apply it to your profession, what do you assume you’d take?

I believe his consistency and the way dependable and the way revered he was due to, most likely, that consistency. I do know a whole lot of arduous work positively went into that. But he simply appeared just like the man that the Yankees all the time needed to have up and the opposite workforce all the time did not need to have up. So I’d positively like to emulate that in my sport.

You’ve worn No. 7 within the Minors, you’re carrying No. 77 this spring. What is the importance of that quantity for you?

My grandfather was an enormous Mickey Mantle fan. So when it got here time once I was 7 [or] 8 years previous to choose a quantity, he type of pushed me towards that and I’ve caught with it ever since.

Do you assume you’ll stick with No. 77? Obviously, No. 7 isn’t out there with the Yankees.

We’ll see. I don’t actually know the way that works.

Tell me a little bit bit about rising up in New Jersey. Did you spend summers down the shore? What was the entire expertise of being a New Jerseyite?

New Jersey was nice for baseball, and type of very completely different than rising up in Manhattan, however I by no means actually went down the shore simply because I used to be by no means actually dwelling — simply taking part in baseball on the weekends rising up. It was type of humorous. The most I’ve ever been dwelling for summer season was this previous summer season taking part in in [Double-A] Somerset. So it was positively cool to expertise a summer season in New Jersey.

What was that have like? Just having so many family and friends round and popping out to the ballpark?

It was superb. I positively obtained to attach with lots of people that I possibly misplaced contact with all through COVID and every part like that. So it was superb to see the help from pals, household and the remainder of the neighborhood, and like I stated, reconnect with lots of people.

All proper, vital New Jersey questions for you: Taylor Ham or Pork Roll?

Bruce Springsteen or Bon Jovi?

What do you like about taking part in shortstop?

I simply love how within the combine you might be. You’re type of the captain of the infield. I simply assume there’s one thing to do each single pitch; actually, no matter your place, however I positively like shortstop for that motive, particularly.

What would you say is the perfect second of your profession to this point?

I’d say successful the gold medal for Team USA in highschool after which successful these state championships. And then this previous season, being part of the Somerset workforce. We received the Eastern League championship; I wasn’t there, however we received the Eastern League championship. So that was fairly cool.

Last query for you. Obviously, we do not know the way the subsequent week or so goes to go. But ultimately you will be at Yankee Stadium making your Major League debut — fingers crossed. How do you assume that’ll really feel? What do you assume that’ll imply for you and for your loved ones?

Yeah, I do not know if I can essentially even put it into phrases. I do not even know if I’ve actually considered it, per se. But I imply, that is what’s going to make all of it the higher. I’ll simply attempt to take all of it in and be within the second and soak all of it in.