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New York Yankees rookie Anthony Volpe made the Opening Day roster and is likely to be the team’s starting shortstop for the 2023 season.
Derek Jeter, the Baseball Hall of Famer who starred for the Yankees from 1995 to 2014 and won five World Series championships, congratulated Volpe on the call-up.
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New York Yankees Anthony Volpe at 2nd base in the top of the 5th inning while playing the Washington Nationals during a spring training game at George Steinbrenner Stadium in Tampa, Florida, on March 1, 2023. (J. Conrad Williams, Jr./Newsday RM via Getty Images)
"Congratulations @Volpe_Anthony. There’s nothing like playing shortstop for the New York Yankees," Jeter tweeted.
Jeter got his start with the Yankees when he was 21 years old as well. While he may have grown up in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Jeter was born in Pequannock, New Jersey – about 36 miles north of Watchung, where Volpe was born.
The Yankees officially made the rookie shortstop a part of their Opening Day roster on Sunday. The team posted a video of manager Aaron Boone and general manager Brian Cashman giving Volpe the news. Boone got really serious with Volpe before telling him the good news.
Derek Jeter, #2 of the New York Yankees, looks on during batting practice prior to the start of a Major League Baseball game circa 1995 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
Volpe tried to put his emotions into words when he spoke to the media after the announcement. He said he was "so excited" to be a part of the 2023 Opening Day roster.
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"My heart was beating pretty hard, but I don’t know, I don’t really have too many words right now," a beaming Volpe told reporters.
Volpe was a first-round pick of the Yankees in 2019 and was given a non-roster spring training invite. He grew up a Yankees fan living in North Jersey.
"I've never really had a choice," he told MLB.com of his Yankees fandom. "It was kind of all or nothing since I could remember. But my parents and grandparents and my whole family are super, big Yankees fans. And I definitely got lucky growing up and being able to go to a couple games and really not having a choice but then falling in love with the team myself."
In 17 games in spring training, he hit .314 with a 1.064 OPS, three home runs and six doubles.
Anthony Volpe, #77 of the New York Yankees, looks on during Spring Training at George M. Steinbrenner Field on February 23, 2023 in Tampa, Florida. (New York Yankees/Getty Images)
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The 21-year-old shortstop is set to be in the infield with Anthony Rizzo, Gleyber Torres and Josh Donaldson in the first series of the season against the San Francisco Giants.
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