The New York Yankees handed Anthony Volpe the start at second base for Game 1 of the Wild Card Series on Tuesday night. Two months ago, he was in Triple-A wondering if his time in pinstripes was running out.
Volpe went 1-for-3 in the Yankees’ 9-0 win over the Boston Red Sox.
When asked what it felt like to be back on a playoff stage, Volpe did not dwell on the road that got him there.
Volpe Stays in the Moment
Volpe’s year has been defined by setbacks. Shoulder surgery kept him out of the opening months. When he returned, the bat did not follow. Fifty-six games of underwhelming production led to a demotion in early August, replaced at shortstop by 21-year-old George Lombard Jr.
Volpe learned second base in the minors for the first time since Single-A. He put his head down, and waited for a chance that was not guaranteed to come.
It came when Jazz Chisholm Jr. injured his thumb earlier this month. Volpe was recalled. Manager Aaron Boone chose him over the returning Chisholm for Game 1 against left-hander Payton Tolle, and Volpe rewarded that trust with steady at-bats and clean defense.
His response after the game was measured.
“Everything that happened, happened,” Volpe said. “All of us, it’s all hands on deck. Everyone’s ready to go and try to do something special.”
What Volpe Saw From Second Base
Volpe spent most of the night watching Cam Schlittler dismantle the Red Sox from 90 feet away. The view from second base gave him an angle most people in the building did not have.
“From second base, watching some of these righties, I never had that angle,” Volpe said. “But some of the swings are so far away from where he was throwing the ball. So it was fun to watch.”
Schlittler struck out 10 across 6⅓ innings and generated a career-high 24 swing-and-misses. Volpe described the impact of watching that kind of dominance up close.
“His preparation and how locked in he was, it just gave all of us the most confidence in the world that we just had to do our thing,” Volpe said.
When the conversation turned to Ben Rice‘s 4-for-5, six-RBI performance, Volpe did not hold back.
“He’s just a superstar,” Volpe said. “He’s carried us a lot. His preparation and how he goes about his work, he’s just so consistent and it’s really fun to play with him.”
Final Word for the Yankees
Anthony Volpe was in Triple-A earlier this year. On Tuesday night, he started a playoff game at Yankee Stadium.
Game 2 is Wednesday night. Whether Volpe starts again depends on the matchup against right-hander Sonny Gray, which could favor the left-handed Chisholm. Either way, Volpe showed Tuesday that he belongs here.
Yankees’ Anthony Volpe Sends Strong Message After Playoff Return