'He's got that DNA': Volpe hitting his way to the top

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NEW YORK -- There were plenty of encouraging signs throughout the spring to suggest that Anthony Volpe was on the right track, having spent his offseason tweaking his swing to address a weakness in covering the top part of the strike zone.

Yet there is only so much information that can be gleaned from games that do not count in the standings, and until Volpe saw how his retooled cuts would fare against pitchers’ evolving game plans, there was some doubt about how it would translate.

Now, the Yankees can confidently say that Volpe is on the right path -- literally and figuratively. The dynamic second-year shortstop had three hits, two runs and two stolen bases in Sunday’s 8-3 victory over the Blue Jays.

“I feel like the team’s in a really good spot,” Volpe said. “Last year was frustrating because I felt like I could be doing more to help the team out and help the team win. When everything is going good and you feel like you’re helping out, it feels a lot better.”

Volpe has seen immediate results from his efforts to flatten his bat path, focusing more on solid contact than lifting the ball. Volpe confirmed that he is more consistently reaching pitches that he could not last season.

The performance marked Volpe’s second three-hit game of the young season and his fourth multi-hit game, having hit safely in seven of nine games while batting .424 (14-for-33).

“What hasn’t he done?” Giancarlo Stanton said. “He’s all over on defense. He’s shooting the ball everywhere on offense, stealing bases, causing havoc for the other team. It’s been fun to watch.”

Though Volpe’s three hits on Sunday were all singles, he’s also shown some pop, collecting three doubles and a homer. This is much closer to the version of Volpe that the Yankees believe he will become; perhaps he’s already there.

“Great at-bats,” manager Aaron Boone said. “Even the ones that don’t end in a result for him, he’s doing such a better job of laying off pitches. He’s got so much more versatility in the zone. He’s using the entire field. It’s just fun to watch him go up there and put at-bats together. It’s competitive all the time now, which is exciting.”

Boone has said that the 22-year-old Volpe should eventually hit near the top of the Bombers’ lineup, and if his performance continues, that decision could happen sooner than initially anticipated.

Gleyber Torres slipped into the leadoff spot when DJ LeMahieu landed on the injured list with a non-displaced fracture of his right foot, and a case can be made that Torres’ power potential might play better in the middle of the order.

Regardless of where Volpe bats, Boone believes that Volpe already displays a veteran presence far exceeding his status as a sophomore shortstop.

“When he was coming up through our system, we envisioned him as one of those core leaders,” Boone said. “He’s got that DNA to him. He’s got that baseball savvy to him. Being in the middle of the diamond with the all-around game he plays … he’s starting to look like that complete, well-rounded really good player.”

Volpe said that his early-season success, as well as that of the team, has been “motivating.”

“I would say it’s super well-rounded. Everyone is picking each other up,” Volpe said. “Whether it’s within the lineup, guys picking each other up … it’s a really good feeling going out there every night knowing there’s a lot of different ways to beat the other team.”