World Series: Anthony Volpe cherishes friendship with Willie Randolph, who has been a mentor for Yankees shortstop

Standing in what then was an unfamiliar clubhouse on the first day of spring training in February 2023 in Tampa, Anthony Volpe — all of 21 years old, the competition he eventually would win to become the Yankees starting shortstop not yet officially underway — was asked:

Who was he most looking forward to meeting and picking their brain?

There were myriad people to choose from, starting in his own clubhouse, which included current All-Stars such as Aaron Judge, DJ LeMahieu, Gerrit Cole and Giancarlo Stanton, to name a few.

“Willie Randolph,” Volpe said without hesitation.

The answer surprised many but Volpe, who was born in Manhattan (at Mount Sinai Hospital) and who grew up in Watchung, New Jersey, comes from a family of Yankees fans, dating back generations, on both sides of his family.

Randolph, a six-time All-Star and World Series champion with the Yankees in 1977-78 and a longtime guest instructor in the spring, happened to be a favorite player of one of Volpe’s uncles.

Later that same day in 2023, Volpe did meet Randolph, and the groundwork was laid for a relationship cherished by both.

Randolph not only became a “mentor and friend,” Volpe said, but something more than that.

“He’s like a second father,” Volpe told Newsday Wednesday after taking batting practice before Game 5 of the World Series.

Volpe, now 23, did his part to ensure there would be a Game 5, hitting a grand slam — he also had a double, walk and scored three runs — in the Yankees’ 11-4 victory in Game 4.

“It’s what he’s capable of,” Aaron Boone said of Volpe, who also made several sparkling defensive plays and more or less dominated the night on both sides of the ball. “I think this is what he can do consistently] in the regular season, too.”

Volpe, as the Yankees have said for two years now as there have been the predictable growing pains, is not a finished product. He was a Gold Glover his rookie season — and is a finalist for it this year — but struggled at the plate in 2023, hitting .209 with a .666 OPS. Though Volpe did hit 21 homers, he did not much resemble the spray-it-to-all-fields hitter he was during his climb through the minor leagues.

Volpe, though not where he or the Yankees believe he will be, was better in most areas this season when he hit .243 with 12 homers and a .657 OPS.

But he’s consistently put up good at-bats during this postseason run — hitting .273 with a .407 on-base percentage — very much resembling who he was in the minors.

And through all of the ups and downs of the last two seasons, the 70-year-old Randolph has been a sounding board.

“He’s been there every step of the way,” Volpe said Wednesday. “He’s as invested as anyone in the organization. He’s been there for everything. I’ve gotten to know him and his family, which has been super special. To have someone like that as a mentor, who’s been through it all in the game, it’s nice to lean on.”

Randolph beams just as much when talking about Volpe.

“It means a lot to me,” Randolph told Newsday of the pair’s relationship. “I’ve talked to a lot of young players and a lot of young players, sometimes it goes in one ear and out the other . . . The thing I love about Anthony is he wants to absorb the knowledge, he respects the fact that he knows I want him to be his best, that I’m one of his biggest fans and I’ve conveyed that to him. Not telling him what to do, but letting him know how much I love him and how much I want him to succeed.”

Randolph, like Volpe, is an area kid, in the former’s case, from Brooklyn. Randolph, who doesn’t have an official club role beyond spring training instructor, leaves the coaching to Yankees infield coach Travis Chapman, though he will occasionally talk to the shortstop about positioning with his feet and his approach at the plate.

“More than anything, know who you are,” Randolph said.

He added later: “I think he understands the Yankees legacy, I think he understands winning and being part of winning. It’s cliché, but he’s like a sponge, where when I talk to some young players, I don’t always get the sense they’re always listening. With Anthony, when I talk to him, he’s listening. And he’s trying to apply some of what I’m trying to share with him.”

But a lot of their talks — whether by phone, text or in person (Volpe chatted a bit with Randolph, in attendance for Game 4, beforehand) — revolve around handling the roller coaster of being young in the big leagues.

For which Volpe continues to be grateful.

“It’s been way better [than imagined],” Volpe said of meeting Randolph. “Spring training’s amazing because he’s with us every day and we’re working. I always wish there would be more time one-on-one on the field together, but just to have gotten to know him on a deeper level, know his family, know his grandchildren, everything like that, it’s pretty surreal.”