World Series: Yankees' Anthony Volpe having another dream come true against Dodgers

LOS ANGELES

Imagine being Anthony Volpe on the eve of this World Series.

Fulfill a childhood dream by playing for the Yankees? Done.

Starting shortstop like his idol, Derek Jeter? Check.

And now Volpe is in the Fall Classic, four wins away from punching his ticket to the Canyon of Heroes, where he stood 15 years ago, cheering those Yankees as they rolled up Broadway with the Commissioner’s Trophy in tow.

Earlier this week, that photo of an 8-year-old Volpe, wearing a Yankees hat and hoodie, hanging with his parents, surfaced on social media. Like everything else involving the New Jersey kid, he was destined for this.

“It’s a funny picture,” Volpe said. “My teeth have gotten a lot straighter since. But I do remember a lot of things about that team and that day. It’s cool to have it documented.”

Friday night’s Game 1 starter, Gerrit Cole, had his Yankees pedigree stamped long before he signed the nine-year, $324 million deal that finally put him in pinstripes. Cole, who grew up in Southern California but whose dad is from upstate New York, stood at the podium for that news conference and produced the childhood sign he once held up as a young fan: “YANKEE FAN TODAY TOMORROW FOREVER.”

That's not unlike Volpe’s upbringing, except the kid shortstop didn’t take the detour through UCLA, Pittsburgh and Houston before showing up in the Bronx. When asked Friday by a reporter if he could name the Yankees’ 2009 lineup, Volpe went right down the list, without a pause.

And the way he's playing this October, some future Yankee could be saying the same about him a few decades from now.

Volpe entered the World Series hitting .310 (9-for-29) with  a .459 on-base percentage in this postseason. He's only  the second Yankee in the last 28 years to reach base in his first nine career playoff games, joining Luke Voit (2018-20) .

Volpe seems totally unfazed by the pressure uptick on the sport’s brightest stage, a trait that he has unflinchingly displayed throughout his early career. But is there a different reason for the numbers this October?

“Not necessarily approach-wise,” he said. “I feel like maybe some little adjustments with my swing has allowed me to get better results. But I think with all the preparation, and being able to see pitchers a lot, you kind of have better ideas of how they pitch you and attack you.”

Volpe’s production is way up, partly because he has cut his regular-season chase rate by more than half, down to 12.5% for this postseason. He’s drawn eight walks and struck out six times this month. During the season, Volpe had 156 strikeouts and 42 walks.  When asked if this version is more the way he envisions himself, Volpe replied, “Definitely, yeah.” Those who study him every day would agree.

“He’s continuing to learn, right?” Yankees hitting coach James Rowson said. “So Volpe has taken all those experiences, the ups and downs, the good parts of the year, the times where pitchers made adjustments against him, and he struggled a little bit and then he had to make adjustments back.

“Now, I think in this postseason, we’re seeing what happens when all that comes together. Ultimately, he’s going to be a really good hitter in this league. The guy we’re seeing right now is the guy he is — and he’s still learning. He’s still going to get better.”

Consider this part of the upward trajectory of Volpe’s learning curve: He arrived on Opening Day two years ago as the next Jeter but understandably has struggled to shoulder those sky-high expectations.

Sure, Volpe won the 2023 Gold Glove — he’s a finalist again — but the offensive side has been slower to develop. He batted .209 with a .283 on-base percentage his rookie year, and those numbers jumped to .243 and .293  this season. All along, manager Aaron Boone repeatedly has explained those struggles by citing Volpe’s age, which is a fair assessment. Baseball’s a hard game. Experience is priceless.

Still, Volpe is the first Yankee to hit at least 30 homers and steal at least 50 bases in his first two seasons and only the 12th player in MLB history to do so. This year, he was one of only nine players to play at least 160 games, joining three other top shortstops: MVP candidate Bobby Witt Jr., Willy Adames and Elly De La Cruz.

And yet Volpe doesn’t look the least bit tired. As for his regular-season fluctuations, the best method to wipe those away is to shine in the postseason, as any true Yankee is measured. And by those standards, Volpe is earning his pinstripes this month.

“He’s continued to upload all this information that he’s learning in his first couple years in the big leagues,” Rowson said. “And look at the stage he’s on this postseason, going through it the first time, and what he’s been able to do, the confidence that’s going to continue to bring him.

“His at-bats are consistent, his focus is there, and we see the talent. He’s a tough out every time he goes up there and he’s dangerous. The sky’s the limit with Volpe.”

Then again, Volpe’s been planning for this his entire life. Or as much as you can script a dream that keeps coming true.

“After the ALCS, my mom was trying to like pinch me and help me realize it,” Volpe said, smiling. “Hopefully once we win it, everything will sink in. But it’s been a wild ride up to this point.”

One that could take Volpe back to the Canyon of Heroes in another week.

By David Lennon

dave.lennon@newsday.comDPLennon

David Lennon is an award-winning columnist, a voter for baseball's Hall of Fame and has covered six no-hitters, including two perfect games.