NEW YORK – The roars have been jet-engine loud as Anthony Volpe jogged to the first-base line at 12:51 p.m. on Thursday, resplendent in a crisp, white uniform. Beneath these pinstripes, his coronary heart thumped quickly; not as a lot as earlier within the week, when his future dangled within the steadiness of a go to to the supervisor’s workplace, however shut.
And as Volpe heard his title introduced over the Yankee Stadium public-address system and he bumped fists along with his new teammates, any proof of overwhelming nerves appeared to fade. Volpe’s younger face melted right into a candy, straightforward grin, the one which has change into a trademark all through every cease of his transient skilled profession. The child was prepared for this.
“It was in all probability essentially the most enjoyable day of my complete life,” Volpe mentioned after the Yankees’ 5-0 victory over the Giants. “I in all probability had goosebumps the entire day.”
Volpe’s huge league debut included a six-pitch stroll, a stolen base and some good performs within the discipline, representing a warm-and-fuzzy sidebar to a contest by which Aaron Decide hit the Majors’ first homer of 2023, Gleyber Torres cracked a two-run shot and Gerrit Cole struck out 11 batters over six scoreless innings.
The 21-year-old – rated because the Yankees’ No. 1 prospect and the No. 5 prospect in all of baseball by MLB Pipeline – visited Yankee Stadium on Wednesday afternoon for a short exercise, as a lot to get acclimated as to construct muscle groups. He snapped photographs of the ballpark’s exterior, texting them to his dad and mom, Michael and Isabelle.
He additionally chatted through phone with Brett Gardner, in search of the previous Yankee’s blessing to change from his spring-issued No. 77 to uniform No. 11.
“I actually recognize him taking the time,” Volpe mentioned. “A lot of the dialog wasn’t even about No. 11; I imply, his influence on the clubhouse to today is ginormous. I feel he performed an enormous position in making these gamers leaders and taking them beneath their wings, the identical approach these guys are actually taking me beneath their wings. I couldn’t thank him sufficient.”
Within the coaching space, Volpe encountered Aaron Decide. They shared a breezy dialog by which Decide urged that Volpe ought to take into consideration the “Roll Name.” His title could be chanted through the first inning – “VOL-pe! VOL-pe!” – and it might be dangerous type to not supply some theatrics.
“I used to be form of ragging on him a bit of bit,” Decide mentioned. “I mentioned, ‘I do know you’re an enormous Yankee fan. You’ve bought to have one thing particular for the Bleacher Creatures for those who’re going to be the shortstop for the New York Yankees.’”
So when the time got here within the first inning, because the Giants’ Michael Conforto whacked a Cole pitch foul previous third base, Volpe reached for the interlocking “NY” on his chest and kissed it. It was an homage to Decide’s transfer from final 12 months’s postseason, when he’d claimed to have been watching an excessive amount of Premier League soccer, however he was actually leaving bread crumbs for the fan base.
Volpe’s first at-bat got here within the third inning, accompanied by cheers that prompted Decide to joke, “It nearly felt like he was chasing 62.” Volpe noticed six pitches from the Giants’ Logan Webb, 4 out of the strike zone, and his speedy status gave the impression to be within the right-hander’s head; Webb used considered one of his beneficial pickoff throws as Volpe’s foot remained anchored on first base.
Quickly he was off and working, displaying the basestealing acumen that produced 50 steals within the Minors final season, darting into second base forward of the throw from catcher Roberto Pérez.
“That’s who he’s,” supervisor Aaron Boone mentioned. “To do it Opening Day with the group you grew up watching and now you’re the shortstop, he was spectacular early.”
Volpe dealt with his first defensive play within the fourth inning, his throw vast of first base, saved of an error by Anthony Rizzo’s sprawling snag. Volpe was cleaner within the sixth, beginning a 6-4-3 double play on a Wilmer Flores grounder. He grounded out in his second flip at bat and sniffed an RBI alternative within the seventh, coming as much as face John Brebbia with runners on the corners and one out.
Volpe swung huge however missed, waving at a few fastballs for a strikeout. Regardless of: DJ LeMahieu and Decide introduced the runs house with back-to-back singles. A couple of half-hour later, Volpe was standing outdoors the Yankees’ clubhouse on the stadium’s basement stage, hugging his dad and mom and posing for {a photograph} that he mentioned could be the enduring memento of his day.“Ever since I can bear in mind, grade college, what I wished to be after I grew up – it was a New York Yankee,” Volpe mentioned. “It’s a dream come true.”