3 Yankees jobs Anthony Volpe could steal this season
By Drew Koch
Which New York Yankees players are on the hot seat with top prospect Anthony Volpe looking to secure a spot on the Opening Day roster?
One of the hottest things in Tampa this spring isn’t so much the weather, but it’s the talk surrounding top prospect Anthony Volpe. According to MLB Pipeline, Volpe is the No. 5-ranked prospect in all of baseball.
There’s a lot to like about the 21-year-old’s game. Volpe was the New York Yankees first-round pick in 2019 and he’s quickly ascended through the team’s farm system. There are a handful of starting jobs that could be up for grabs this spring. Could Volpe actually swoop in a steal one?
3. Yankees prospect Anthony Volpe could steal the starting job at third base.
As of this moment, it would appear as though Josh Donaldson is expected to emerge from spring training at the New York Yankees starting third baseman on Opening Day agains the San Francisco Giants.
But the Yanks sent a clear message to Donaldson last week that many saw as a potential wakeup-call to the veteran. In a split-squad last weekend, Donaldson was the lone starter from the 2022 squad who was allocated to the B-team.
Donaldson, who is entering Year 2 in pinstripes, will be taking home $21-million this season. That’s likely to find him a spot among the starting lineup. But, with Giancarlo Staton possibly starting in the outfield, perhaps Donaldson is moved into the DH role and replaced by Anthony Volpe at third base.
The biggest flaw with this theory is the presence of DJ LeMathieu. It seems more likely that if any player were going to supplant Josh Donaldson at the hot corner, it’d be LeMathieu. Still, Donaldson will have to improve on his .682 OPS from a year ago or he could be riding the pine in 2023.