Anthony Volpe shows October glimpses of the player the Yankees believe in

On By Littum

The Yankees have a homegrown, feel-good, defensively excellent, already October-proven shortstop.

Do they have one of the better players in baseball? Finally one of the better players in baseball? Finally one of the best players in baseball?

What is Anthony Volpe’s ceiling?

Anthony Volpe steals third base during the eighth inning of the Yankees’ Game 4 win over the Dodgers. Jason Szenes / New York Post

“All-Star player, year in and year out,” manager Aaron Boone said before Wednesday’s Game 5 of the World Series in The Bronx. “I think that’s what he’s capable of.”

There is plenty of doubt about what the Yankees will look like in 2025, ahead of an offseason in which Juan Soto and Gleyber Torres will especially hit free agency.

Their lineup, riddled with questions behind Aaron Judge, would be far more reliable if Volpe grows into the player the Yankees believe he is growing into.

Consider Tuesday’s Game 4 for a glimpse of the ideal Volpe future for the Yankees.

The reigning AL Gold Glove shortstop made a pair of strong defensive plays, including a sliding, backhanded stop on a Kiké Hernandez one-hopper for a leadoff run at second. He stretched a single into a double in the eighth, stole third base (his second steal of the night) and got a nice break and used a nice dive to score on a groundball.

Oh, and he drilled the go-ahead grand slam for his first World Series home run.

“You just watched his whole game (Tuesday) night,” Boone said. “The quality of the at-bat was there all night, as it has been all postseason. The armed forces. You saw the base race.

“… Just a great all-around game and a game he’s capable of.”

Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe reacts as he rounds the bases on a grand slam during the third inning of Game 4. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post

Through his first two major league seasons, Volpe has shown flashes at the plate, but just flashes. Among qualified shortstops this season, Volpe’s .657 OPS was 19th best. He started the season hot, cooled off significantly in June, bounced back in August and posted a miserable .432 OPS in September.

That September has been forgotten because of his October, entering Game 5, hitting .273 with a .794 OPS with five steals in his first 13 postseason games.

And at 23 and 184 days old, he became the third-youngest Yankee to hit a postseason grand slam, beaten only by Mickey Mantle and Gil McDougald. Volpe, born in New York and raised in New Jersey, was interviewed by childhood hero Derek Jeter after the game.

“It’s pretty crazy to think about,” Volpe said of the interview. “It is my dream, but it was the dream of all my friends, all my cousins’ dreams, probably also my sister’s dream.

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“But winning the World Series was, first of all, a long way. Nothing else compares. So there is still a lot of work to be done.”

Perhaps Volpe has found something at the plate that he can take into next season, which would be a significant development for the player and the team.

Volpe has been a below-average hitter in two major league seasons, which can be forgiven for a player who compensates with excellent defense in a prime spot and solid baserunning, but there is still untapped potential.

“Defensively, he’s been so great,” said Carlos Rodon, who wanted to know. “I know, offensively this year, it hasn’t been super output, but he’s such a great baseball player. I mean, he’s so dynamic in terms of where he can impact the game for us. His ability, his baseball knowledge and his ability on defense, his ability with baserunning.

Anthony Volpe fields a ground ball hit by Enrique Hernandez during the ninth inning of the Yankees’ Gamer 4 victory. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post

“He’s had an impact on a lot of those games, whether it’s stealing bags or defensively making some pretty incredible plays.”

Unlocking a new level — bringing in October Volpe in April — would be crucial for a team that likely wouldn’t make many splashy offensive upgrades if Soto can be retained.

A 2019 first-round pick has been more solid than superstar, a supporting piece rather than a foundational one. There is room to grow and his manager believes he is still growing.

“I think he’s been very successful in his first couple of years,” Boone said. “I think there’s so much more in there and there’s more development that needs to happen and I think that’s happening and will happen offensively where he’s going to be the finished product of, what everyone hoped and imagined.”