New York Yankees scouting head reveals how Anthony Volpe dropped college for Bronx Bombers

Anthony Volpe is the newest player for the New York Yankees who has come through the minor leagues as part of their organization. He was drafted by the Yankees in 2019 and finds himself on the roster four years later.

During the draft, Anthony Volpe was a highly-touted shortstop prospect coming out of the Delbarton School in New Jersey. He had already committed to playing college baseball at Vanderbilt University, one of the top programs in the country. However, the Yankees saw something special in him and decided to take a chance on him with the 30th overall pick.

The decision to forego college and sign with the Yankees was not an easy one for Volpe. He had always dreamed of playing college baseball and had even turned down offers from other teams earlier in the draft. But the Yankees were persistent, and their former general manager, Jim Hendry, played a key role in convincing Volpe to sign with the team.

In an interview on The Show on YES Network, Yankees scouting head Damon Oppenheimer shared the conversation Jim Hendry had with the Volpe family that ultimately convinced Anthony to choose the Yankees. Oppenheimer recalled that Jim Hendry was very direct with the entire Volpe family and told them frankly:

"If you wanna be a Yankee, this is your chance."

Hendry's pitch resonated with Volpe, who ultimately signed with the Yankees for a signing bonus of $2.37 million. In his first professional season, Volpe showed why the Yankees were so high on him, hitting .215 with four home runs and 19 RBIs in 55 games for the Yankees' Class A affiliate on Staten Island.

Anthony Volpe has made his MLB debut this year and looks to hit the ground running

Anthony Volpe's decision to sign with the New York Yankees over Vanderbilt was not without risk. If he had gone to college and continued to develop, he could have potentially been drafted higher and earned a larger signing bonus. But for Volpe, the opportunity to play for the team he had grown up idolizing was too good to pass up.

It looks like the youngster has made the right decision after being handed his MLB debut this season. The Yankees are confident that they made the right decision in drafting Volpe and convincing him to sign. With his talent, work ethic, and character, he has the potential to be a cornerstone of the team's future success.