Anthony Volpe is in his first postseason ride with the Yankees.
Unlike most young players, though, the shortstop already knew about expectations in The Bronx well before he joined the organization as a first-round pick in 2019.
“For me, I grew up a fan, and what makes the Yankees the Yankees is winning and winning a World Series,’’ Volpe said before a workout at the Stadium on Sunday in advance of Game 1 of the ALCS against Cleveland.
“That was always … the standard,” Volpe said. “At least from the outside and getting drafted as an 18-year-old and coming up through the system, learning from the inside how they treat the players. It’s first class for a reason, and all the reasons are to win.”
That’s something they haven’t ultimately done in October since 2009, which Volpe is hoping to change this postseason.
“Obviously, once I got up to the big team, we have a really solid core of guys that also came up homegrown,” Volpe said. “So we want to win it and we want to win it here.’’
First, of course, they have to get back to the World Series, and the only thing that stands between them and that goal is a Guardians team that won the AL Central, but that has typically come up short against the Yankees this time of year.
And if Volpe plays like he did against the Royals in the ALDS, he’ll likely play a role in helping the Yankees advance again.
Owner of some of the best at-bats of the series versus Kansas City, Volpe said Sunday he’ll keep mostly the same approach, even if he wasn’t rewarded with many hits in the last round.
“I think we’re in a really good spot,” said Volpe, who went 3-for-12 with four walks but had several hard-hit balls turned into outs “But I think at the same time, I don’t think we have played our best baseball yet. … I think we’re hitting our stride at the right time.”
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Certainly, it’s been a promising start to the postseason for Volpe after an uneven second year in the majors.
“It’s what you work for, I think the whole season,” Volpe said of the playoffs. “But I think for me, my whole life, to have opportunities like this to play on this stage for this team and to try to win a pennant.’’
And he appreciates the journey more from the inside than he did growing up.
“What makes it a lot better for me now is as a fan, you always circle October and maybe wait to go to a big game or something like that,” Volpe said. “But I don’t think you really appreciate all the stuff it takes to get there for the players and for the team and everyone involved with the team.”
