First big league game, first big league and getting to meet the Jonas Brothers. Talk about an exciting first week for Yankees rookie Anthony Volpe.
The team’s top prospect and the center of attention in the Yankee universe all spring has stepped into the majors with relative ease. Volpe has played the field well with only one hiccup over the first six games of his MLB career and became only the fifth Yankee ever to steal bases successfully in each of their first three games in the majors.
He even got to meet fellow New Jersey natives, the Jonas Brothers, who were at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday promoting an announced show at the famed ballpark in August. Volpe was born in New York City and grew up in the Garden State.
After dreaming of playing for the Yankees all his life, the reality has matched what Volpe expected it to be like.
“It’s just been a lot of fun,” Volpe told amNewYork. “Dream come true on so many different levels, but exceeding whatever I could imagine. Just trying to take it all and enjoy the moment and help the team win.”
While Volpe reiterated how much his experience playing for the Yankees thus far has exceeded expectations the one thing that has really stood out for him is just how much everyone cares inside the clubhouse. During a short chat with amNewYork Volpe mentioned the teammates he had around him this year and how their competitive level is there every game.
For the young shortstop that has been the biggest thing.
“How driven everyone is to just go out there and compete every day to try and win, that’s what took me to the next level,” Volpe said.
While the season may be young, Volpe has been the main media focus for much of it. All eyes had been on the shortstop on opening day, which had been dubbed “Volpening Day” by some fans on social media.
His parents, Isabelle De Leon and Michael Volpe, are both lifelong Yankee fans who had been known to listen to New York sports talk hosts banter about the Bombers. They recently told ESPN that now they’ve been trying to get used to hear them talk about their son.
However, none of that has reached or bothered Volpe. He said that he hasn’t paid any mind to the added attention.
“For me, it’s not too difficult,” Volpe said. “I’m not really tuned into kind of stuff on the outside. But I think being in a clubhouse like this and with everyone’s time going on road trips and stuff like that it doesn’t do me any good to worry about stuff like that.”
In a week full of firsts for the 21-year-old, Volpe labeled Opening Day as his favorite moment of it all. It wasn’t just the fact that he got to live out his childhood dream that added to the moment, but it was the fact he had so many people there to support him.
“I think getting to see family and friends after the game was pretty cool,” Volpe said. “A lot of people got to come out and made the trip, so that was probably the most special moment of it all.”
