Baseball America has designated former Diamond Jack Anthony Volpe the No. 6 overall prospect in the New York Yankees’ organization.
Volpe completed his first year of professional ball in August, playing 34 games with the Rookie League Pulaski Yankees. Volpe, who does not turn 19 years old until April, experienced uneven success in his short stint with Pulaski but flashed enough of his skills to impress talent evaluators.
While some early draft projections viewed the 5-11, 180-pound Delbarton grad a second baseman, Volpe played all but one of his 34 games with Pulaski at shortstop. He committed nine errors but factored in 16 double plays in his 137 chances.
“He’s going to be a shortstop,” said Damon Oppenheimer, the Yankees’ vice president of Domestic Amateur Scouting. “The guy can hit. He can run. He’s got plus actions. He’s got really good hands and he’s got a shortstop’s arm. He’s got tools. He’s been on the big stage with the USA national teams, so he’s got performance with a deluxe makeup. The kid brings it every day.”
Volpe had a slow start at the plate but finished strong to raise his batting average to .215 and he did have seven doubles, two triples and a pair of home runs to go with 11 RBI. He also drew 23 walks and was successful in six of his seven steal attempts, each indicative of Volpe’s well-rounded game.
That slow start may have been the result of mononucleosis, which short-circuited the last couple weeks of Volpe’s summer season with Pulaski.
Volpe was drafted in the first round, No. 30 overall, by the Yankees in June. He followed his draft day excitement by hitting a two-run home run in the first inning of Delbarton’s NJSIAA Non-Public A state championship victory over St. Augustine Prep. He also made two fine defensive plays in Delbarton’s 4-3, eight-inning victory over its South Jersey rival.
The prospects named in Baseball America’s 2020 Yankees Top 10 are; 1-Jasson Dominguez (OF). 2-Clarke Schmidt (RHP). 3-Deivi Garcia (RHP). 4-Luis Gil (RHP). 5-Oswald Peraza (SS). 6-Volpe (SS). 7-Luis Medina (RHP). 8-Roansy Contreras (RHP). 9-Alexander Vizcaino (RHP). 10-Albert Abreu (RHP).