Anthony Volpe

Seen as a long shot to break camp entering spring training, Volpe won the starting job at shortstop for the Yankees with his performance in the Grapefruit League and went on total 601 plate appearances as a rookie. At age 21/22, he hit 21 homers and stole 24 bases, but his batting line settled at just .209/.283/.383. He totaled a meager 122 runs-plus-RBI while stuck primarily in the bottom third of the batting order, though he made 28 starts out of the leadoff spot. Volpe makes for an interesting case study entering 2024 because everything under the hood looks bad, but further development should be expected for the former top prospect. It's possible his crash course last season accelerates that development and Volpe quickly becomes the star player some evaluators expected, but right now he's looking like a playing-time-dependent accumulator. The Yankees stuck by him all year despite some low lows, and a long leash should be expected again in 2024.

Volpe's season line (.246/.341/.450) was fine, but he got off to a pretty rough start at Double-A, whether due to an adjustment to the pitching, the cooler spring weather in the Eastern League, or just random variance. From June 10 on, he hit .268/.360/.492 with 14 home runs, 29 steals (on 32 attempts), a 17.7 K% and an 11.4 BB% -- numbers much more in line with preseason expectations. Volpe has always been a hit-over-power prospect whose minor-league steals totals have exceeded his speed grades from scouts (generally considered a 55-grade runner). Considering Isiah Kiner-Falefa (26 SB attempts) and Gleyber Torres (15 SB attempts) had the green light, Volpe should get the same, but it would still be unwise to expect him to approach the 41.5 steals he averaged over the past two years in the minors. Slow starts aside, Volpe's AVG declined steadily as he climbed the ranks (.302 at Single-A, .286 at High-A, .251 at Double-A, .236 at Triple-A). He only got 99 plate appearances at Triple-A to close the year, posting a career-worst 30.3 K%. That said, he was 21 and won't turn 22 until late-April. The Yankees are keeping the middle infield clear for some combination of Torres, Oswald Peraza and Volpe, and Volpe is the least ready of that trio, so it shouldn't be assumed that he will be given the job early in 2023.

While Volpe went from unranked prospect to one of the top statistical performers in the minors in 2021, his hard-hit data and strong plate skills make it easier to fully buy into his out-of-nowhere production. The 20-year-old from New Jersey is not without pedigree, Volpe was the No. 30 overall pick in 2019. However, he logged just a .704 OPS in 34 games in the Appalachian League after signing and was then out of sight and out of mind for the 2020 season. His 19.7 K% and 15.2 BB% were very strong marks for an age-appropriate hitter at Low-A and High-A. He also logged hard-hit rates that would be more in line with a corner outfielder at Triple-A, rather than a middle infielder in the lower levels. Adding to the fantasy appeal, Volpe stole 33 bases in 42 tries, making the most of his .423 OBP and above-average speed. He excels at working the count and getting something he can drive, as evidenced by groundball rates below 30% at both stops. It's unclear if he'll end up at shortstop or if he will man the keystone, but the hope is that his bat will be good enough to profile at any position and deserve placement in one of the top three spots of a big-league lineup. He will likely spend all of 2022 at Double-A and Triple-A.