Yankees GM Comments On A Top Shortstop Prospect

The New York Yankees have an open competition for the shortstop position.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa, the starter for most of the 2022 campaign, is no longer a favorite to be a regular and is struggling in the spring anyway.

Oswald Peraza is, quite likely, the favorite to begin the season as the starter.

There is a third name, a dark-horse candidate who has an uphill battle to change his situation but is doing everything he can to keep himself in the discussion.

That name is Anthony Volpe.

With just 22 games of experience in Triple-A and a lot to prove there (his 91 wRC+ in limited action at that level was less than ideal), the Yankees are likely keeping him there, at the doorstep of the majors, for at least a few weeks.

That is despite posting an impressive .300/.391/.550 line in the spring.

Here is what GM Brian Cashman had to say about Volpe still being in the running for the starting shortstop gig:

“Brian Cashman on Volpe/SS competition: ‘Let’s put it this way, Anthony Volpe’s doing everything he needs to do. Now we’ll see how, ultimately, he measures up compared to everybody else in our internal dialogues. That [determination] hasn’t happened yet,'” Yankees insider Greg Joyce tweeted.

Brian Cashman on Volpe/SS competition: “Let’s put it this way, Anthony Volpe’s doing everything he needs to do. Now we’ll see how, ultimately, he measures up compared to everybody else in our internal dialogues. That [determination] hasn’t happened yet."

— Greg Joyce (@GJoyce9) March 9, 2023

The situation with Volpe is like this: he could be ready for MLB, but the sample size of spring training won’t prove that.

Instead, he is likely to get some time in Triple-A to see if he can excel there, like he did in Double-A and High-A.

If he can, he most definitely will be up after the Super Two deadline has passed and the Yankees gain another year of control.

In any case, he should be up for good at some point in the second half.

He carries All-Star potential, so the league better watch out.