Nathan Ray Seebeck / USA Today Sports
Edited by Liz
This Thursday, Anthony Volpe will become the youngest Yankee to start on Opening Day since Derek Jeter in 1996.
The talk of the city this spring training was who would play shortstop for the New York Yankees this season. The Yankees have a log jam in the infield. First, there is Josh Donaldson, who plays third base.
There’s DJ LeMahieu has played third, first, and second. Next, Gleybor Torres has played shortstop and second base. Then, of course, there is Isiah Kiner-Falefa, the shortstop for the Yankees for most of last season until getting benched for Oswald Peraza in the playoffs.
The Yankees re-signed IKF to a one-year, six-million-dollar contract. still leaving him in the mix to be the shortstop in 2023.
And then you have the two rookies in, Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza, who are both shortstops. Heading into spring training, the New York Yankees clarified that the shortstop position was up for grabs.
Based on interviews by IKF, it became clear he wasn't playing shortstop. “Whatever happens, happens,’’ Kiner-Falefa said to reporters during spring training. “I just want to win. That’s all I’m worried about right now. I am ready for whatever I need to do.”
Anthony Volpe went out and won the job. In 55 at-bats in spring training, The 21-year-old New Jersey native had a .309 batting average (league average is .250), 17 hits, 3 home runs, and five stolen bases.
Meanwhile, Oswald Peraza posted a .190 batting average, with 8 hits, and 1 home run, and 2 stolen bases in 49 at bats in spring training.
On Sunday, the Yankees announced that Anthony Volpe would be the starting shortstop for the 2023 New York Yankees and that Oswald Peraza would be sent to Triple-A, and be playing for Scranton Wilkes-Barre Railriders, one of the Yankees minor league teams.
Fans are still waiting to see what the Yankees will do with the logjam that still exists with Donaldson, LeMahieu, Torres, and Peraza.
It has been reported that the Yankees attempted to trade Torres last year, a move that would have been done to make room for both Volpe and Peraza.
In terms of Donaldson, Yankees Manager Aaron Boone said on the Talkin’ Yanks Podcast on Jomboy Media that he believes that Donaldson will have a bounce-back season as the third baseman of the New York Yankees.
The only clear answer we have is that Anthony Volpe is the next shortstop for the New York Yankees, wearing number 11.
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