New York Yankees fans are getting more and more excited about top prospect Anthony Volpe. With every big hit, web gem in the field and impressive answer off the field, it's difficult for Yankees fans not to get too excited. After what six-time All-Star and Yankees two-time World Series champion Willie Randolph, a guest instructor at New York's Spring Training camp, had to say about Volpe, Yankees fans' hype will be through the roof.
Randolph mentioned Volpe in the same sentence as Hall of Famers Derek Jeter and Don Mattingly, per Chris Kirschner of The Athletic.
“Guys like Jeter, guys like Mattingly — again, not comparing, but they have a certain ‘it’ factor in a way,” Randolph said. “You can tell that they feel like they belong. A lot of young kids come into a camp like they’re kind of walking around on eggshells. They’re kind of looking around. I see when he gets his work done, it’s like, he’s with the guys. He’s in it. He’s holding his own with what he’s doing and you see a confidence in him. That’s what I love about him.”
Randolph made sure to say that he wasn't comparing Volpe to the Yankees legends.
But he did note that Volpe, the no. 5 ranked prospect in MLB, has ” a certain it factor” that both Derek Jeter and Don Mattingly had.
Volpe, who has yet to play more than 30 games at Triple A, is a longshot to make the Yankees' 2023 roster.
But the 21-year-old has seemingly already won the club over for his work off the field, such as his eagerness to watch his former minor league teammates play in Spring Training, even after he himself was finished for the day.
Volpe isn't just impressing the fans. He's impressing Yankees legends too.