Anthony Volpe has done a bunch of stuff in his first five weeks as a major leaguer to deliver a positive calling card about his future.
He stabilized the Yankees leadoff spot, has been an impact baserunner and has played shortstop better than advanced word of his skill there. He is aggressive and confident in the field, just like at the plate, just like on the bases.
Yet, what has been most impressive to date is that Volpe can take a punch. His offensive start to the season was not very good: a .158 average in his first 13 games with 14 strikeouts in 43 plate appearances. While generally being good defensively, Volpe committed a few faux pas that helped cost games.
Nevertheless, he didn’t flinch. In defending his team’s personnel decisions over the last few years, Yankees GM Brian Cashman insisted there is no way to know if someone can handle New York until the player is in a Yankees uniform. And I would not argue that there is a one-size-fits-all standard that would allow for definitive insight on who can make it work in the big city.
