The Yankees are slowly but steadily putting young blood in the team! Last year, the average age of their players was 29.6, which was the highest among the AL East teams, and thus, it becomes inevitable to bring more young energy to the team. Enter Anthony Volpe, the rookie Golden Glove winner. The Yankees hope Volpe will become the most fitting successor to their celebrated shortstop Derek Jeter. They also need some younger version of Jeter to take the lead, with Paul Goldschmidt, 36, and Dj LeMahieu, 37, being their only infield option. So, is Volpe the right one to fill the shoes of Jeter and the best option to tackle the age problem for the Yankees?

Well, Volpe is following the route of Jeter. Receiving the AL’s Golden Globe award in his debut year as a shortstop made Volpe the only second Yankee after Jeter. Hence, offering similar value to the team! “He’s using all sides of the field, hitting balls to the right side, hitting balls to the left side, and up the middle,” said Yankees outfielder Alex Verdugo, pointing out Volpe’s playing style is similar to that of Jeter. It would still be too soon to consider Volpe as the young Jeter, but the way he is going, he can achieve the tag soon.

Volpe is the Yankees’ new hope

What is so special about Anthony Volpe? He made his major league debut with the Yankees last year and is already in the record book for stealing 13 bases without being caught, the most in the Yankees’ history. He also became the first rookie shortstop from the Yankees to hit the Grand Slam. Similar to Jeter, Volpe is also a right-handed batter and thrower and plays as an infield shortstop. With the smashing debut he made last year, expectations are high for him to be the fitting replacement for his idol Derek Jeter. However, Volpe has yet to make his mark as an effective offense considering he made only 12 HRs and 60 RBIs with a .243 AVG that prompted Yankees manager Aaron Boone to push Volpe down in the lineup. 

Can Volpe still make a mark this year? Well, Boone already acknowledged that Volpe is not a finished product yet but has all the potential. “I think the different adjustments and things he’s done are going to serve him well in the end, and we are going to look up in several seasons and we’re going to see a really good offensive player,” said Boone, indicating Volpe’s long-term potential and how the Yankees are betting on him for the future. Moreover, with the Yankees plagued with aged players at their infield, grooming young talents like Volpe is the best the team can make. 

Aged infield in place

Paul Goldschmidt and Dj LeMahieu are both proven veterans, and their high-leverage experiences are the reasons Boone is interested in them. However, they are not in the Yankees’ long-term plan due to their age, and Anthony Volpe can be one such young talent to get behind them. Goldschmidt signed a one-year deal with the Yankees and came up with 22 HRs and 65 RBIs from 154 games in 2024. Nothing extraordinary, but it is a stop-gap solution for the Yankees considering they have yet to make a home run from 1B since July last year. 

On the other hand, LeMahieu was on the injured list for most of 2024 and was able to play only 67 games and ended last season with 2 HRs and 26 RBIs. Last year’s performance of LeMahieu is below par when compared with Volpe’s 12 HRs and 60 RBIs. While Goldschmidt’s 2024 stats are on par with that of Volpe, the probability of getting north from here is high for him and vice versa for Goldschmidt. Well, age is again a major factor here! Considering how Volpe is steadily walking the path of Jeter, playing Jeter’s role would be the best that can happen for the Yankees. 

Nevertheless, it’s too soon to consider Volpe as Jeter’s successor, but he has the potential to be so. The Yankees, on the other hand, are looking forward to leveraging on the veteran’s experiences and rookie’s talent. So, what do you think about Anthony Volpe being the Yankees’ hope to tackle the age problem? Share with us below.