When the Yankees promoted SS Anthony Volpe to the majors, the organization appeared to think they had discovered a once-in-a-generation player for the role once held by the legendary Derek Jeter. In an unexpected twist, Jeter himself was asked about Volpe’s future with the team during a one-on-one interview hosted by senior MLB analyst Adam Schein on SiriusXM.
Jeter clearly stated that the Yankees are committed not only to Volpe as a player but also to his development at the major league level. He acknowledged Volpe’s current slump, noting that every player experiences such phases in their careers, and expressed hope that the Yankees will soon see the Volpe who shone during the 2024 postseason.
“Look, I think as a young player, look, it’s obvious the Yankees have made a commitment to Anthony, right? They’re committed, but they’re also not only committed to him being the shortstop, but they’re also committed to allowing him to further develop at the major league level… But every player has gone through it. Every player has gone through bumps in the road. You know what I mean? But most of the time, those bumps in the road are in the minor leagues… But the Yankees are very high on Anthony,” Jeter said.
“I think they’re banking on a big upside. And hopefully he can put it together here. They can put it together soon. You go back to the World Series a few years ago; he played great in the postseason that year. So you want to get back to that point. But it’s tough, man. It is tough to go through growing pains at the major league level for a player. I mean, we’ve all been there. You know what I mean? And every mistake is magnified. And hopefully he can turn it around,” he added.
Anthony Volpe Has Been Sharing the Shortstop Role With Jose Caballero This Season
Recently, controversy surrounded Volpe after Michael Kay initially reported that he refused to play second base in the minors while recovering from injury. Kay later retracted his statement, and Volpe strongly denied it.
Meanwhile, Jose Caballero is seeing increased playing time at shortstop, raising questions about how the Yankees will handle Volpe once the second half begins Friday against the two-time defending World Series champions, the L.A. Dodgers.
Volpe’s stats include a .246 batting average, one homer, 13 RBIs, and a .668 OPS. Caballero is batting .250 with 10 homers, 35 RBIs, and an OPS of .698.
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