Anthony Volpe has played the best baseball of his big-league career on a second base experiment that has now surpassed four games since Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit the injured list with a sprained right thumb. Volpe has yet to make an error, and the sample size is small but these eyes feel absolutely convinced. Volpe just looks so comfortable out there.

His Jeterian jump throw on Sunday (from second base – still! – but second base!) was so fun to watch for Yankees fans who have suffered the lowest lows of Volpe's rollercoaster season and career. It just looked and felt so much more iconic than it was.

Anthony Volpe has learned the second base position for the Yankees in record time Volpe was so smooth at second, it's a bittersweet reality for Yankees fans, especially anyone quick to be pessimistic about the team and his roster decisions. One, the Yankees made the right call in sending Volpe to learn the position in the minors this season... But two, they should've made that decision a long time ago. 

If Volpe keeps crushing second base – and maintains this level of defensive competency into 2027 and beyond with George Lombard Jr. – the Yankees will have salvaged Volpe's career and somewhat atoned for their complete mishandling of his development. 

And better late than never, right? Then again, should the Yankees even receive credit for salvaging anything here, especially since it was the organization itself that helped cause this mess? 

Even now, Volpe's opportunity was forced on him by Chisholm's injury (rather than his terrible season and Volpe's red-hot bat down on the farm). 

Written by

Lakshya