Yankees top prospect Anthony Volpe makes home debut with Somerset Patriots
CHICAGO — Top Yankees prospect Anthony Volpe’s numbers at Double-A Somerset haven’t been good.
General manager Brian Cashman isn’t concerned.
“There’s a ton of very talented players, even at this level, throughout the game,” Cashman said before Thursday’s 15-7 win over the White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field. “Fast starts. Slow starts. It’s a marathon.”
After going 0-for-5 on Thursday, Volpe’s slash line sank to .157/.291/.634 with four home runs and 16 RBI in 26 games.
Comparatively, Volpe hit .273 with a .927 OPS thru first 26 games at Low-A last year, and then .308 with a .997 OPS in his first 26 games at High-A.
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Volpe has hit just .111 (4-for-36) with two home runs in 10 games since his last multi-hit game on April 28.
“He’ll heat up,” Cashman said. “I think he’s already started heating up. That kid’s wired right.”
Volpe, 21, turned into one of the most hyped prospects in the game after an outstanding 2021. Between Low-A Tampa and High-A Hudson Valley, he hit .294 with 27 home runs, 86 RBI and a 1.027 OPS.
Baseball America ranked him as the 10th best prospect in the minors and as the best in the Yankees’ organization. The Yankees drafted him in the first round out of Delbarton High School in 2019, giving him a $2.74-million signing bonus.
“Obviously, he’s taking the next step, and we’re excited about his future,” Cashman said.
The Yankees hope Volpe’s future is at shortstop at Yankee Stadium, perhaps as soon as next season. The team passed on signing big-money free agents Corey Seager, Carlos Correa and Trevor Story, in large part because it believes in Volpe’s skillset and makeup.
Volpe worked hard over the 2020 minor-league shutdown to revamp his body and change his swing.
“He keeps grinding out at-bats,” Double-A Somerset Patriots manager Dan Fiorito told NJ Advance Media on May 6 at TD Bank Ballpark. “Even some of the times where he wasn’t putting it all together, or when he wasn’t just crushing the ball like we saw all of last year, he’s still competitive.”
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Brendan Kuty may be reached at bkuty@njadvancemedia.com.
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