He’s a fiery leader, has an electric bat and is a menace with the glove. And now, Delbarton star shortstop Anthony Volpe has a new home — the New York Yankees.
Volpe was selected No. 30 overall by the New York Yankees in Monday’s first round of the 2019 MLB Draft, putting a cherry on top of a stellar high school career.
Volpe still has one more high school game left — the Non-Public A state championship — but the Yankees saw more than enough throughout his senior season. There’s no doubt about it: Volpe is New Jersey’s top position player. He’s batting an even .500 with 39 hits, seven home runs, 33 RBI, and 36 runs scored.
Watch JSZ’s highlight reel of Anthony Volpe’s senior season:
But what stands out most in his game are the intangibles. Volpe has a vibrant, giddy personality who’s proven to be an undeniable leader.
“I think he’s the best shortstop in the country,” teammate Jack Leiter told JSZ earlier this season. “Offensively he’s the hardest out; I know that from pitching against him over the summer.”
Volpe signed a national letter of intent to play baseball at Vanderbilt University, but it remains to be seen what his decision will be. According to MLB.com, his signing bonus with the Yankees would be $2.37 million.
His pedigree as a pure baseball player has been evident for years. Volpe is the first player to ever play on the Under-12 Team USA roster to be drafted in the MLB Draft’s first round. He also won a gold medal with Team USA’s Under-18 squad this past summer, alongside Leiter.
The following is just a small sample of the excitement from New Jersey’s baseball community following Volpe’s draft selection:
Stay tuned with JSZ over the coming days as we update you on Volpe’s future, as well as additional New Jersey players selected in the 2019 MLB Draft.
