BRIDGEWATER, N.J. – Anthony Michael Volpe continues to be a Yankee.
At least for at the moment.
With the Major League Baseball commerce deadline on Aug. 2, the Yankees have the property to deal for 23-year-old megastar Juan Soto of the Washington Nationals, who not too long ago turned down the Nats’ provide of a 15-year, $440 million contract extension and is nearly sure to be dealt for a multi-player package deal of younger expertise.
And if the commerce occurs between the Yankees and the last-place Nationals, Volpe is nearly sure to be a part of that deal.
Why would the Yankees quit Volpe, their 21-year-old shortstop of the long run and their No. 1 prospect? In all baseball offers, you need to give to get and if the Yanks certainly wish to purchase a once-in-a-generation participant like Soto, it’ll value them.
Besides, the Yankees are a bit deep at shortstop all through the group.
The Bombers presently have Isiah Kiner-Falefa manning the place, who has thus far offered a strong bat, reliable glove and velocity on the bases.
If Volpe goes in a commerce, the Yankees nonetheless have two top-flight minor league shortstops in Oswald Peraza, 22, their No. 3 prospect, and 21-year-old Trey Sweeney, their No. 7 prospect.
For Volpe, who’s having fun with a robust season for the Double-A Somerset Patriots, taking part in steadily at TD Bank Ballpark is how he drowns out the noise.
“When you have an opportunity to go out every night and play hard for nine innings, it’s not too hard to be focused,” Volpe mentioned previous to final Saturday night time’s sport in opposition to the Reading Fightin Phils.
Volpe is laser-focused now. After a gradual begin, the Watchung, N.J., native has upped his common to .252 with 13 HRs (tied for the workforce lead) and 45 RBI as of Monday, and leads the Patriots in hits (78), runs (53) and doubles (24). . The 5-foot-11, 195-pounder additionally leads the workforce with 35 stolen bases.
He’s additionally confirmed to have a clutch bat. In the weekend sport in opposition to the Fightin Phils, performed in 94-degree warmth on the 7:07 begin, Somerset received 6-3. Volpe, batting leadoff, was 0-for-3 till he hit a two-run homer to left middle to tie the sport within the backside of the eighth earlier than the Patriots received it on a walk-off homer within the ninth. He additionally dealt with all six possibilities within the discipline flawlessly.
The Yanks chosen Volpe out of Delbarton High School in Morristown, N.J., with their first decide within the 2019 draft. He was the thirtieth general decide.
He was a highschool teammate of the Rangers’ first-round decide, righty Jack Leiter, the son of ex-Yankee and Met Al Leiter.
Volpe, together with Leiter, performed within the current All-Star Futures Game in Los Angeles and went 0-2 with two strike outs. Teammate Leiter pitched a 1-2-3 inning.
“Thinking back about it, I have to pinch myself,” Volpe mentioned, flashing a high-wattage smile that can play properly in New York. Volpe additionally acquired to see one other buddy and touted Yankee prospect, outfielder Jasson Dominguez, do his factor.
“I was in the hole when JD hit that [two-run] bomb,” Volpe mentioned.
Even with a Futures All-Star Game beneath his belt and a vibrant baseball future on the horizon, Volpe is aware of that there’s nonetheless work to be carried out.
“I’d say [on] every part of my game,” he admitted. “I’m 21. I don’t think anyone 21 years old is nearly as good as he can be. I have a great opportunity to come out here every day and really work on everything.”
Calling Somerset house is a plus.
“Playing with a lot of Yankee fans in the area … has been a great learning experience on and off the field,” he mentioned. “I’m excited to play before family and friends. I’m a homebody.”
The workforce’s performing supervisor, Sergio Santos, likes what he sees in Volpe.
“Love his mannerisms,” mentioned Santos, who often works on the Yankees’ Tampa advanced. “You see him off the field, he’s a super nice kid. When that switch comes on, you see he’s a competitor. He’s a baseball player.”
Though Volpe performs shortstop, which was the identical place of a sure Hall of Famer, Santos isn’t making that comparability — but.
“Not comparing him to [Derek] Jeter,” mentioned Santos, however he does see one thing related within the mature-beyond-his-age Volpe. “He almost has that same knack of knowing where to be, knowing the game, the flow of the game.”
Volpe additionally is aware of the right way to set an excellent instance for teammates, which makes him a possible chief, Santos mentioned.
“One hundred percent,” he declared. “A guy that is that good, when he shows up and he’s working harder than anybody else and he’s got that talent, most guys see that, and they want to work hard too.”
Either manner, Volpe will observe his private mantra to the foremost leagues: “To have fun and go out and compete every single night,” he mentioned, flashing that killer smile once more. “To me, that’s the most effective factor about baseball.
“The only thing that matters is going out and having fun.”
Regardless of which workforce he calls house.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com