Yankees star Anthony Volpe gifts signed baseball bat to Knicks’ Josh Hart with special message

In just two short seasons, Anthony Volpe has gone from a little-known rookie to one of the integral members of the New York Yankees. Recently, Volpe flexed his star power by bestowing a gift to another big name in New York sports.

On Wednesday, New York Knicks shooting guard Josh Hart took to his Instagram to show off a gift he had received from Volpe. The shortstop had given Hart a signed bat, inscribed with the words 'Go Yanks.'

Josh Hart showing off the signed baseball bat given to him by Anthony Volpe

A native of Maryland, Hart was traded to the Knicks from the Portland Trail Blazers in February 2023. The following August, Hart inked a four-year, $81 million extension in New York, showing fans that he will be in the Big Apple for the foreseeable future.

Less than two months after Hart's trade to the Knicks, Anthony Volpe made his MLB debut on March 30, 2023, against the San Francisco Giants. Initially criticized for his 5-foot-9 frame, the New Jersey native proved to be a formidable fielder who developed his hitting capabilities. In 2023, Volpe hit .209/.283/.383 with 21 home runs and 60 RBIs - picking up a Gold Glove in the process.

"ANTHONY VOLPE WITH THE BIGGEST SWING OF HIS CAREER! GRAND SLAM" - Mike Dro

In September, Josh Hart made an appearance at Yankee Stadium during batting practice. Before the game on September 24, Hart was seen chatting with several New York Yankees players around the batting cage, including Giancarlo Stanton, Juan Soto and Volpe himself. Perhaps the arrangement to send the NBA star a game-used bat was hammered out at that point.

Anthony Volpe feels right at home in New York

Although Volpe's Yankees were ultimately unsuccessful in defeating the Dodgers to win the 2024 World Series, the push was a tremendous experience for the 23-year-old. As Volpe, who led his club in steals with 28 this season, told MLB.com about the experience of playing in the World Series at Yankee Stadium:

“It’s my dream, but it was all my friends’ dreams, all my cousins’ dreams, probably my sister’s dream, too. But winning the World Series was first and foremost, by far. Nothing else compares, so we’ve still got a lot of work to do.”

A rising star in the Big Apple, it will only be a matter of time before the city's other athletes are lining up to gift Volpe some of their game-used memorabilia.