Inside The Pinstripes

Anthony Volpe Looking to Buck the Trend of Yankees' First-Round Picks

New York Yankees shortstop prospect Anthony Volpe is looking to stop the trend of former first-round picks struggling while playing in the Yankees farm system

Dan Federico

The Yankees drafted Eastern Illinois infielder Trey Sweeney Sunday night, making him the latest first-round pick to don pinstripes with the hopes that his path will take him from the draft stage to the Bronx.

Just two years ago, Anthony Volpe had that same experience. 

New York may not be in his immediate future either, but the shortstop appears to be bucking the trend of flameout first-rounders in the Yankees organization. 

The Yankees and draft success have been far from synonymous. The organization has drafted 29 amateurs in the opening and supplemental rounds since the turn of the century. The results have been mixed at best.

Aaron Judge is far and away their biggest prize. The Fresno State product turned into the team’s de facto captain and one of the faces of Major League Baseball since being drafted in 2013. 

Gerrit Cole may only be in his second season in pinstripes, but the organization fawned over him back in 2008, too. Despite going in the first round, Cole opted to enroll and play at UCLA and was eventually drafted first overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy and Joba Chamberlain were taken in 2004 and 2006, respectively, to much fanfare. The hype may have never matched the results, but all three carved out respectable-to-strong big-league careers.

Then there are players like John Ford-Griffin, Bronson Sardihna, Jeffrey Marquez, Andrew Brackman, Jeremy Bleich, Slade Heathcott and James Kaprielian, who have totaled 62 big-league games. Only 33 of them played with the Yankees. David Parrish, John Skaggs, Eric Duncan, Jonathan Poterson, Carl Henry, Cito Culver, Dante Bichette Jr., Ty Hensley, Eric Jagielo, Ian Clarkin never made it passed Triple-A.

READ: Yankees Believe First-Round Pick Trey Sweeney Will Stick at Shortstop

Volpe was a local product, plucked from The Delbarton School in New Jersey with the 30th overall pick. The young shortstop committed to Vanderbilt University, but a $2.7 million signing bonus swayed him to the professional ranks.

Despite a successful high school career from Volpe—one that saw him hit .488 with seven home runs, 34 RBI and 17 stolen bases his senior season—the selection received mixed reviews, with MLB Pipeline ranking him the 63rd-best prospect heading into draft day.

On the surface, said mixed reviews seemed warranted. Volpe’s professional career started off with more of a dud than a bang, although a bout with mononucleosis played a factor. He played in 34 rookie ball games, with just a .215 batting average, .704 OPS and nine errors to show for it. 2020 was a lost year for obvious reasons.

It would’ve been fair to assume additional growing pains for Volpe. Instead, he's become one of the standout names in the Yankees farm system midway through 2021.

READ: Yankees’ Top Prospect Jasson Dominguez Sets Goal for MLB Arrival

Despite names like Hoy Jun Park and Ken Waldichuck exceeding expectations, it’s fair to say Volpe has been both the most consistent Yankees prospect, and the most impressive. The 20-year-old triple slashed .302/.455/.623 through 199 at-bats in Low-A ball with the Tampa Tarpons. He led the league with 18 doubles, 12 home runs and 49 RBI over that same span, all the while flashing patience (51 walks to 43 strikeouts) and speed (21 stolen bases in 26 attempts, 56 runs scored). Not only has his defense been advertised—he came into the draft known for his “strong footwork and range,” according to a scout back in 2019—but it’s expanded, with Volpe spending limited time at both second and third base.

The Yankees front office is taking note, too. Volpe was promoted to High-A Hudson Valley Tuesday, where he registered a hit, walk and RBI in three at-bats in his debut and is currently sporting .899 OPS ever since. 

It’s hard to predict how far or fast a player will rise through organizational ranks. That’s magnified with the Yankees and the shortstop position specifically, with Gleyber Torres seen as a cornerstone talent heading into 2021, Oswald Peraza continuing his torrid pace this year, Josh Smith standing out in Staten Island before getting injured and the newly-drafted Sweeney.

But Volpe’s work ethic and two-way talent makes him stand out amongst competition, both in and outside of the organization. That bodes well for a franchise that needs to start hitting on their first-round prospects. 

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Dan Federico
DAN FEDERICO

Dan Federico has served as both a writer and editor for Bleacher Report and The Journal News, among other publications. He's a Yonkers, New York native that has covered the New York Yankees since 2014. 

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