Anthony Volpe and Yankee First Round Picks: Time to Face Facts
Anthony Volpe is not the answer at shortstop for the New York Yankees. The only thing that Volpe could hang his hat on, his defense, failed him, and the Cleveland Indians took advantage as a result. At the plate two innings later, he continues to look like the .209 hitter he has been this season. This game is a case study of what Anthony Volpe is. Three years in, it is clear that the great shortstop free-agent class of 2022 that was bypassed for Anthony was a missed opportunity.
The list is a who's who of failed potential from the years 2010-2019, highlights why established talent is desired over untested players such as Cito Culver, Dante Bichette Jr., Ty Hensley, Eric Jagielo, Ian Clarkin, and James Kaprielian. Volpe is the latest in a long line of first-round picks who have collectively unimpressed. Kyle Holder, Blake Rutherford, Anthony Siegler, and TJ Sikkema. All these men failed to meet the mark. It's time to read the room and see that Volpe, at 23, has not and appears not to be the player that the organization envisioned. There were only two exceptions, and Volpe is not one of them. One of them is Aaron Judge, who was a late-blooming anomaly, and the other is an established starter in the rotation, Clarke Schmidt, who has not yet exceeded mediocrity.
It's hard to believe an American Gold Glove winner in his rookie season of 2023 and Hitting Prospect of the Year in 2022 has since failed miserably at one and shown to be inconsistent at the other. The original narrative for Volpe was that the Yankees attempted to sell the fanbase on a Jersey kid who was to be the next Derek Jeter, but with more power. It was why, during the free agency of 2022, that was so much shortstop depth that the Yankees ignored talents like Carlos Correa, Corey Seager, Trevor Story, Javier Baez, and Marcus Semien. All these men were top fielding shortstops with offensive firepower. The Yankees stated that Volpe was so special that they ignored an obvious need at the time. Volpe, in three seasons, has an average of .226.
Volpe has had his moments. The 2024 game four home run secured the Yankees’ sole win in the series. However, the Yankees backtracked from the offensive expectations to defensive when he won the A.L. Gold Glove. If that is now the standard, Oswald Peraza is superior on defense and can hit nearly as well as Volpe is now. Anthony is quick-footed, but one has to hold their breath as he has a weak arm, and this season alone, Paul Goldschmidt has fielded multiple bad throws to save Volpe from multiple errors. If Volpe plays defense like this, then there is nothing more to justify his starting at one of the premium positions in the franchise. They have a better prospect in a five-tool, switch-hitting shortstop in Roderick Arias in the minors, who is close.
The golden ticket Volpe received is tarnished. The Yankees, out of necessity, have had to ride a youth wave of talent like Ben Rice, Austin Wells, and Will Warren, who all had to beat the door down to get regular playing time. They refused to make excuses like the Yankees do with Volpe. They have earned their spots, and going forward, the Yankees will have to face facts. They will have to admit at some juncture that they made a mistake in Volpe and move forward. The mission is still the World Series, and the Yankees cannot waste any more time playing their favorites and weighing down the lineup.
