


There have been a few miscues and bobbles — but no errors yet — for Anthony Volpe at shortstop and though some scouts believe the rookie will end up at second base, that is not the mindset of infield coach Travis Chapman, who has worked with Volpe since shortly after he was drafted by the Yankees in 2019.
“I’ve seen him the last couple of years [in the minors] and I knew he had the tools and ability to be a big-league shortstop,’’ Chapman said. “I think he showed it in the minors and thus far here [with the Yankees].”
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And even with the presence of defensive whiz Oswald Peraza, who began the season with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Chapman insisted there is no plan to move Volpe.
Asked if he sees Volpe as the Yankees’ shortstop of the future, Chapman said, “You’d better believe it. We’ve been preparing for that for the last several years and nothing has changed.”
Aaron Boone noted after a play in which Volpe threw underhand to second on a potential double-play ball that the 21-year-old is still adjusting to the speed of the major league game.
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No one in the organization, though, is more familiar with Volpe’s development on defense than Chapman, who was a minor league defensive assistant for a decade with the team before being moved to the major league staff prior to last season.
“It’s been a process to get to this point,’’ Chapman said. “It started not long after he came out of Delbarton.’’
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The Yankees drafted Volpe out of the New Jersey high school in the first round, 30th overall, in 2019 and he reported to their rookie league affiliate, Pulaski, a level that no longer exists.
“I talked to their coaches when he was there and we started progressing from there,’’ Chapman said. “I’ve seen a lot of Anthony since he first started out with us.”
Among the aspects they’ve built on throughout his pro career has been Volpe’s backhand.
“He used to come around [the ball] quite a bit, but we wanted him to be more direct to the ball,’’ Chapman said. “He’s elite at that part of the game now and can go straight there.’’
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There will inevitably be rough patches in the early going for Volpe, who doesn’t turn 22 until later this month.
After starting the season 2-for-6, he’s got one hit in his last 11 at-bats with four strikeouts.
Volpe also has impressed on the base paths with three stolen bases in as many attempts and sounded like a veteran player when discussing his miscues in the field.
“He keeps working hard,’’ Chapman said. “This is not easy. He’s still only a few games in, but you can tell he’s enjoying it. He’s refreshing to be around and he’s already built trust in the coaches and players.”