Anthony Volpe’s strong start forcing Yankees to take notice

TAMPA — From the first day of spring training, Aaron Boone has insisted that the Yankees would not be averse to having Anthony Volpe break camp with the team if he showed he was ready to be the starting shortstop.

Through the first week of Grapefruit League games, the 21-year-old has given decision-makers plenty to think about.

Getting the start at shortstop on Saturday, Volpe ripped a double off the left-field wall and smacked another line drive to third base that resulted in a double play in the Yankees’ 14-10 loss to the Rays at Steinbrenner Field.

He is now batting 5-for-15 (.333) with a 1.042 OPS through five games, though spring training results alone are not going to win him the job.

“It’s hard to answer what the criteria is,” Boone said after the game. “But we’re paying attention.”

Asked if there was a scenario where Volpe could break camp with the team without someone else being hurt — Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Oswald Peraza are his main competition in the shortstop battle — Boone answered, “Sure, yeah.”

Entering spring training, Kiner-Falefa was the incumbent, though Peraza made a strong impression with a one-month cameo at the end of last season.

Volpe is viewed by many as having the highest ceiling of the three, but he spent most of last year at Double-A Somerset before finishing the season with 22 games at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Asked about Volpe’s lack of Triple-A experience and professional at-bats overall (1,259 career plate appearances), Boone said that would be one of the factors in the ultimate decision.

“It’s all things we talk about as a group and as we get towards the end of spring and we’re starting to make the decisions about rosters and stuff, there’ll be a lot of voices that have thoughts and opinions,” Boone said. “That’s part of his case and case against and story. Yeah, it’s all part of the equation that you gotta make a decision on at some point.”

The Yankees are still three-plus weeks away from having to make that decision, and plenty of things could change before then that would alter the equation.

Through the first week of games, though, Volpe is off to a strong start.

“He’s a good player,” Boone said. “I can’t say I’m surprised, because I think we all expected him to handle it all well. Just a good player that loves the game that’s into the game that’s into all the little things about the game.”