Anthony Volpe

Anthony Volpe's Biography

Anthony Michael Volpe, an American by birth, came into the world on April 28, 2001. Born into a talented family, both of his parents were renowned doctors, with his father, Michael Volpe, making his name as a urologist, and mother, Isabelle Volpe, known for her remarkable work as an anesthesiologist. His parents both provided different heritages, with his father of Italian descent and mother of Filipino descent.

During his early years, Anthony resided in the upscale Upper East Side of Manhattan, where his family had partial season tickets to watch New York Yankees games. This nurtured Anthony’s love for the Yankees at an early age. Eventually, his family relocated to Watchung, New Jersey when he got into the fourth grade.

Anthony’s academic journey took him to Delbarton School in Morristown, New Jersey. The school was renowned for its competitive athletics and it helped develop Anthony’s skill and passion for baseball. During his senior year on the school’s baseball team, his exceptional performance earned him numerous accolades. He batted .488, achieved seven home runs, and stole bases 17 times. His remarkable performance saw him named as the 2019 New Jersey High School Player of the Year by Perfect Game.

Later, despite his commitment to play college baseball at Vanderbilt University, the Yankees spotted and recognized Anthony’s unique talent. Consequently, they drafted him in the first round of the 2019 MLB draft. After his signing on June 10, he received a handsome signing bonus of $2.7 million and made his professional debut with the Pulaski Yankees of the Rookie Advanced Appalachian League. Despite the temporary setback of the COVID-19 pandemic that caused the 2020 minor league season to be cancelled, Anthony used the time to build muscle and enhance his swing.

Beginning the 2021 season, Anthony was assigned to the Tampa Tarpons underneath the Low-A Southeast. Following excellent performance at the Tampa Tarpons, he was promoted to the Hudson Valley Renegades of High-A East. At the Hudson Valley Renegades, he had a stellar season hitting 27 home runs and stealing 33 bases, putting his name alongside Andruw Jones as the minor league’s first 20-homer, 50-steal player since 1996.

In 2022, Anthony was given an opportunity to play for Somerset Patriots of the Double-A Eastern League. He eventually earned a promotion to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders of the Triple-A International League on September 2, following an impressive .252 batting average, 18 home runs, and 60 RBIs, he accrued in 109 games for Somerset.

In 2023, he became the Yankees’ new hope, getting an invite to spring training as a non-roster player where he vied for the starting shortstop role. Once chosen on March 26 to commence with the Yankees, Anthony proved his potential by recording his first home run, grand slam, and stealing his 13 base without getting caught. He made history by becoming the first player in Yankees history to achieve this feat.

Despite some experiences of struggle to balance, he nevertheless ended that year on a high note by recording 21 home runs, 60 RBIs, 24 stolen bases, and 23 doubles. This impressive performance got him a vote in the AL Rookie of the Year Award and ultimately winning the AL Gold Glove Award, becoming the first Yankee rookie to clinch the award.

In the off-season, he worked on his offensive game. To stay on top of his performance and not rest on his laurels, he levelled his swing to improve control in the upper zone. This new alteration paid off as he was able to reduce his strikeout rate while increasing his walk rate and on-base percentage dramatically in the first half of the 2024 season.