Yankees' Anthony Volpe goes the other way for homer, double
Yankees' Anthony Volpe is greeted by third base coach Luis Rojas (67) on his solo homer in the fifth inning of a spring training baseball game against the Boston Red Sox in Fort Myers, Fla., Sunday, March 12, 2023. Credit: AP/Gerald Herbert
FORT MYERS, Fla. — The superlatives keep rolling in for Anthony Volpe.
From everyone but the 21-year-old prospect, that is.
Volpe, very much in the thick of the competition to be the starting shortstop for the Yankees on Opening Day, went 2-for-4 with a home run and a double in a 3-3 tie with the Red Sox on Sunday afternoon.
Volpe is 8-for-25 (.320) with two homers, three doubles and a 1.130 OPS in nine Grapefruit League games.
“It was definitely a good day, good to get back out there and play against a good Red Sox team,” said Volpe, who is always understated when it comes to talking about himself. “It was pretty fun.”
Volpe struck out swinging in the first against Tanner Houck, a big-leaguer, but rifled the first pitch he saw from the righthander in the third into the gap in right-center for a double.
Leading off the fifth against righthander Chris Martin, another big-leaguer, Volpe blasted a 1-and-2 pitch the other way for a no-doubter home run. The drive caught the attention of his teammates, who already were impressed with Volpe’s skill set, demeanor and work ethic.
“You see that Volpe [homer]?” Aaron Hicks, shaking his head, said to a small group of reporters who entered the clubhouse toward the end of the game.
“I think they certainly respect his ability and the way he goes about things,” Aaron Boone said. “I think he’s gotten a lot of our guys, especially our established core players, I think he’s gotten their attention.”
Oswald Peraza, the better defender of the two and still likely a slight favorite to win the job — he did start two ALCS games at shortstop last October — will start Monday’s game in the Fort Myers area against the Twins.
But make no mistake: Volpe organizationally is getting strong consideration for the spot. He’s done about everything possible to make the decision as difficult as possible for the team he rooted for while growing up in Watchung, New Jersey.
“There’s a lot of time left, a lot of games left,” Volpe said. “For me, it’s just day by day and trying to take advantage of every opportunity.”
Marinaccio strong again
Ron Marinaccio, who missed the last part of the 2022 regular season and the entire postseason because of a shin injury, continues to put aside the lingering concerns the Yankees had about him entering camp. The righthander, brought along at a slightly slower pace than the other relievers, struck out the side Sunday in his second outing. He struck out two in a perfect inning Thursday against the Red Sox in Tampa.
Erik Boland started in Newsday's sports department in 2002. He covered high school and college sports, then shifted to the Jets beat. He has covered the Yankees since 2009.
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