Now ranked No. 1 for NYY, Volpe walks it off

Now ranked No. 1 for NYY, Volpe walks it off

August 20th, 2021

NEW YORK -- Once upon a time, a New Jersey-born shortstop took the Bronx by storm, embarking on a Hall of Fame career in pinstripes.

Nobody is predicting a Derek Jeter-like career for Anthony Volpe, at least not yet, but the 20-year-old certainly got off to a good start in his first game after moving atop the Yankees’ prospect mountain in MLB Pipeline’s latest rankings.

The club's new No. 1 prospect finished off his 3-for-4 outburst Thursday night with a walk-off 2-run home run against the Cyclones, carrying the Hudson Valley Renegades to a 7-6 victory. Volpe also tripled, walked and scored three times, finishing a double shy of the cycle.

It was a performance that proved exactly why Volpe jumped from his preseason No. 11 rank into the No. 1 spot, vaulting ahead of OF Jasson Dominguez, who ranks No. 2 on the latest list. Volpe is having a sensational year in the Minors, slashing .305/.438/.619 with 20 home runs, 71 RBIs and 27 stolen bases, earning a promotion from Low-A Tampa to High-A Hudson Valley in the process.

The rest of the Top 5 is rounded out by SS Oswald Peraza (up from No. 4), RHP Luis Gil (up from No. 5) and RHP Clarke Schmidt (down from No. 2).

Volpe (No. 15), Dominguez (No. 17) and Peraza (No. 64) were also listed among MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 prospects in the Majors.

Volpe was one of three Yankees prospects to jump at least 10 spots on the list, joined by LHP Ken Waldichuk (No. 9, up from 27) and RHP Hayden Wesneski (No. 15, up from No. 30).

SS Trey Sweeney, the Yankees’ first-round pick in last month’s MLB Draft, enters the list at No. 7, one of 10 players to make their debut in the club’s Top 30. RHP Brendan Beck, the Yankees’ second-round pick, debuted at No. 14.

Others to make their first appearance on the list are: INF Oswaldo Cabrera (No. 16), LHP Brock Selvidge (No. 17, third-round 2021 Draft pick), RHP Randy Vasquez (No. 20), OF Elijah Dunham (No. 24), RHP Matt Sauer (No. 27), C Donny Sands (No. 28), OF Fidel Montero (No. 29) and 2B Cooper Bowman (No. 30, fourth-round 2021 Draft pick).