TAMPA — For five weeks this spring, Anthony Volpe showed a cool and confident demeanor as he tore up the Yankees’ shortstop competition.
But when the 21-year-old got word after Sunday’s game that he should stick around Steinbrenner Field because he would be getting the news of his roster fate, his heart began pounding so fast it was ready to explode.
Soon enough, Volpe officially learned what had become obvious to everyone who was paying attention to the shortstop battle all spring: He had won it.
Volpe will be the Yankees’ Opening Day shortstop against the Giants on Thursday afternoon in The Bronx, injecting a shot of youth, athleticism and hometown flavor into the lineup for a team with World Series aspirations.
“I was probably pretty blacked out,” Volpe said shortly after getting the news from Aaron Boone, his smile still plastered to his face. “If I had a heart-rate monitor on, it would probably be my max ever heart rate.”
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The Yankees declared shortstop an open competition during the offseason, but Volpe entered camp seemingly with the longest odds to win it, with Isiah Kiner-Falefa the incumbent and Oswald Peraza ahead in his development path after making a one-month cameo at the end of last season.
Volpe was not on the 40-man roster and had played only 22 games at Triple-A, a knock because the Yankees typically like their prospects to conquer each level of the minor leagues before moving up.
But Volpe forced his way onto the Opening Day roster.
The Watchung, N.J., product arrived at the Yankees’ player development complex in December to begin working and then put together a stellar camp that caught the attention of veteran teammates and coaches.
The Delbarton grad never took his foot off the gas pedal, making it impossible for the Yankees not to carry him on the roster immediately out of camp.
Still, Volpe insisted there was never a point in camp when he realized he could be on his way to making the team.
“I was truthful with you guys every step of the way,” he said. “I really tried not to think of it. The only time my heart was really beating was when after the game [today] they said to hang around and they were gonna let me know either way. Just being out on the field and playing with all the guys and being able to compete helped me take my mind off everything that I really couldn’t control.
“For it all to come to fruition like this is pretty crazy.”
Volpe will be the first rookie in the Yankees’ Opening Day lineup since Aaron Judge in 2017.
He will also be the youngest Yankee to start on Opening Day since a 21-year-old Derek Jeter — Volpe’s idol growing up — did so in 1996, according to MLB.com’s Sarah Langs.
After getting the news in Boone’s office, with GM Brian Cashman, bench coach Carlos Mendoza and hitting coach Dillon Lawson also present, Volpe walked out to the dugout, where his parents and grandparents were waiting to celebrate.
“To have that moment with them was something I’ll never forget,” Volpe said. “I don’t know if there was much talking. My parents were pretty emotional.”
Later Sunday, the Yankees announced they had optioned Peraza to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
The 22-year-old, speaking earlier in the day, sounded like he knew Volpe had won the job, but said, “At the end of the day, we both want to play in the big leagues.”
Through 17 Grapefruit League games, Volpe is batting .314 with a 1.064 OPS and five steals.
He made his impact felt offensively, defensively, on the base paths, with his baseball IQ and how he carried himself on and off the field.
The makeup that Yankees officials have been raving about was on full display.
“He just dominated all sides of the ball during February and March,” Cashman said.
“He absolutely kicked the door in and earned this opportunity,” added Boone.
Sunday marked the latest milestone in Volpe’s journey since the Yankees drafted him with the 30th-overall pick in 2019.
He passed up a scholarship to play at Vanderbilt in order to chase his dream of playing on the team for which he grew up rooting.
“It was in a lot of ways this opportunity,” Volpe said. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to get into the organization and have the opportunities and the ability to play for the Yankees. This day, this feeling, this moment was kind of what I’ve worked my whole life for.”