Anthony Volpe Shines in Yankees Loss, Young Star’s Hot Season Start Continues

Anthony Volpe seems to be scorching this season. The New York Yankees’ second-year shortstop yet again puts on a show to begin the 2024 season. And his newest feat is nothing short of impressive. One that reflected that no speed can intimidate him. 

Volpe did the unthinkable as he faced a 100-mph cutter from flame-throwing closer Emmanuel Clase. In the ninth inning, where the game was tied, the 22-year-old shortstop drilled a double. Guess what? He tied the game yet again. Now, this wasn’t a lucky hit; it was a well-curated testament to the amends he’s made.

Praises flow in for Anthony Volpe as he faces flamethrower 

Commenting on Volpe’s amazing season two, Manager Aaron Boone said, “He’s squaring it up every [time]. He’s putting together a good at-bat every time. Clase’s obviously about as good as they get at the back end. Just a great at-bat to tie that game.” The fact that he has caught the attention of Boone this season like never before speaks volumes about the progress he is showing. 

In his most recent game against the Cleaveland Guardians, the maturity Volpe displayed was evident. First of all, he has never faced Clase before. Secondly, he sought advice from teammates and capitalized on a crucial 2-1 cutter. Making use of the novelty and advice, he sent the Guardians packing temporarily. Well, the Yankees ultimately fell 8-7 in 10 innings. 

Having displayed a great feat, the young shortstop modestly said, “He has incredible stuff. just tried to stick to the approach.” Volpe’s game was so impressive that even Aaron Judge spoke about him. His words were, “Anything with triple digits and moving like a cutter, it’s damn near impossible to hit. But he took a great swing, didn’t try to do too much with it, and just tried to stay inside it.” He concluded by saying that one gets rewarded when one does such things, speaking about Volpe’s feat. 

Numbers say that Volpe might have a great season ahead

Can we just say that this display was just a chapter in what could be Volpe’s sensational season? At the moment, he leads the team in hits and is tied with Juan Soto at 21. He also flaunts a flaming.382 batting average with a 1.041 OPS in only 15 games. It is undeniable that he is super comfortable at the leadoff spot, going 6-for-15. He has five walks and four runs in his last four games there. 

It looks like this offseason he made major adjustments to his swing. And clearly, they are paying off in a big way. Whether it’s the ability to handle different pitches or locations, his knack was on full display against Clase. And with that, one can say for sure that this season’s tear was quite something.