WATCH: Yankees' Volpe Reacts to Making Major League Roster
The New York Yankees are breaking camp with their top prospect, as it was announced on Sunday that SS Anthony Volpe has made the Major League roster.
The competition came down to Volpe, veteran Isiah Kiner-Falefa and youngster Oswald Peraza, but Volpe won it after posting a 1.064 OPS with three home runs and five stolen bases, heading into Monday.
Volpe told Hoch that he is thinking of sticking with No. 77 as his uniform number, but he hasn't given it too much thought yet. He also described the moment that he shared with his family upon making the team and sharing a moment with Yankees legend Willie Randolph.
Volpe and his development is one of the biggest stories for the Yankees this season, and for the entirety of the American League East. He hit .249 across both AA and AAA last season, with 21 total home runs and 65 total RBIs. He also posted 35 doubles and swiped 50 bases.
From his MLB.com prospect profile:
"Volpe stood out as much for his intangibles as his tools when he entered pro ball, but that's no longer the case after he transformed himself physically. He still has as much pure hitting ability as anyone in the system, but he now has a right-handed stroke geared for loft and produces high exit velocities and power to all fields. He struggled at times against sliders in 2022 and occasionally looked like he was trying to do too much at the plate, but he made adjustments over the course of the year.
Volpe's work ethic and instincts continue to allow him to get the most out of his physical ability. His solid speed and aggressive nature on the bases led to 50 steals in 57 attempts last season."
The Yankees open up the season Thursday vs. the Giants at 1:05 EST.