Yankees rookie shortstop Anthony Volpe had the dagger in a bloodbath victory over the hapless A's (NYY 11, OAK 3) on Wednesday afternoon in the Bronx. It was 7-2 Yankees at the time, but then Volpe sent one deep to center field.
Viva la Volpe 🙌 pic.twitter.com/50UnXBS35r
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) May 10, 2023
Given that the bases were loaded at the time, that's one of those things we call a grand slam in the baseball world. You might've heard of it. Anyone who only followed Yankees rookies playing shortstop wouldn't have, however, because this was a first. Yes, it was the first-ever grand slam for a Yankees rookie playing the position of shortstop at the time.
That's no small feat, as the Yankees have had Hall of Famers Derek Jeter and Phil Rizzuto -- in addition to 1962 Rookie of the Year Tom Tresh -- playing short as rookies.
Also, Volpe becomes the youngest player ever to hit a grand slam in Yankee Stadium, per Katie Sharp, and that includes all versions of Yankee Stadium (which means it's a 100-year-old record). The only Yankees younger than Volpe to ever hit a grand slam anywhere were Mickey Mantle (four times) and Melky Cabrera (via James Smyth).
The 22-year-old Volpe made the Yankees out of spring training and has appeared in every single game. There have been some growing pains, which are to be expected for anyone transitioning to the majors, as he entered Wednesday hitting .205 with a .331 slugging percentage. He's also shown flashes of the big upside he possesses, as he is 11 for 11 in stolen bases and has three doubles, two triples and four home runs.
The Yankees entered Wednesday in last place in the AL East, though they are now 21-17. They've won six of their last eight and look a lot more formidable at the plate now that Harrison Bader and Aaron Judge are off the injured list. They've beaten up these last three days on a historically-bad A's team, though, so we'll find out how much of the hot streak is real this coming weekend.
Starting Thursday, the Yankees host the Rays for a four-game series.
