Anthony Volpe is set to make his highly-anticipated Yankees debut on Thursday afternoon, when the Yanks open the season in the Bronx against the Giants.
For Volpe, he will become the youngest Yankees Opening Day shortstop since Derek Jeter, and the first rookie starter on Opening Day since Aaron Judge in 2017.
Judge, who has consistently spoken highly of the 21-year-old Volpe, is excited not just for the young shortstop’s debut, but for the signal it sends from the organization to award the job to its top prospect who shined throughout spring training.
“The organization believing in a young guy like Volpe — we got quite a few other young guys that are probably gonna help us win a lot of ballgames down the road — as a player, that just gets you excited,” Judge said, via Greg Joyce of the New York Post.
“Knowing that, hey, the organization wants the best product on the field no matter the age or who they are, that excites you as a player.”
Judge’s excitement is not isolated, as the ace that will take the mound in front of Volpe on Thursday is also looking forward to having Volpe in the lineup.
“His preparation is elite,” Gerrit Cole said. “His talent is elite. He’s a really good person. I’m just starting to get to know him as the team comes together to start the regular season. But watching him from afar, he looks like he has a lot of the characteristics of other great players that I’ve watched over the years.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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