Make New York Post a Preferred Source Anthony Volpe sure looked comfortable in his first playoff start at second base while delivering a key hit and sacrifice bunt in a 9-0 win over Boston in Game 1 of the wild card series at the Stadium.
It was a highlight in a rocky season for the one-time shortstop of the future for the Yankees, who bounced from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to The Bronx and all around the infield in a wild season.
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Now he looks like he could be a key piece to a potential playoff run.
“I’m just in the moment and ready to go,’’ Volpe said. “Everything that happened, happened. … It’s all hands on deck.”
His path to Game 1 included offseason surgery to repair his left shoulder a little less than a year ago, followed by a minor league rehab assignment that began in April before he was optioned to the minors when he failed to show enough to merit a trip back to The Bronx at short.
When he finally got back to the majors, it came because José Caballero, who replaced Volpe at short, was hurt.
And after more than one trip back to the minors, Volpe didn’t play his first major league game at second base until this month.
“It was frustrating,’’ Volpe said. “As bad as it was, it was a good opportunity.”
“Credit to him,’’ Aaron Boone said prior to the game. “It was an incredibly difficult situation, but that’s why I always [say], we live in the moment so much. It’s a snapshot in such a long grind of the season. There’s gonna be good times, bad times, twists and turns. A lot of times, the cream usually rises to the top.”
The Yankees went with Volpe over lefty-swinging Jazz Chisholm Jr. against Boston left-hander Payton Tolle, with Volpe having started at second just 11 times in the majors before Tuesday night.
Anthony Volpe rounds first base after hitting a single in the second of the Yankees’ 9-0 Game 1 blowout win over the Red Sox in their AL wild-card series on Sept. 29, 2026 at the Stadium. Jason Szenes for New York Post Still, infield coach Dan Fiorito expressed confidence that Volpe would be solid wherever he was asked to play.
“I know he’s ready,’’ Fiorito said before the game. “He’s got some games there going back to the minors.”
And Fiorito said Volpe’s knowledge of the game has helped with the transition.
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“He doesn’t have the same experience as he does at shortstop, but he’s a baseball player,’’ Fiorito said. “He knows all his responsibilities. He’s looked good out there so far.”
Prior to this season, Volpe had appeared in just two games as a pro at second base, as the Yankees prepared him throughout his career to be the shortstop for the foreseeable future.
But his offense stalled and his defense regressed and when he played through the shoulder injury last season, it took a toll.
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Many scouts have long believed that, despite the Gold Glove he won as a rookie, Volpe was better suited as a second baseman and with George Lombard Jr. so far looking the part, the best chance Volpe has of sticking in The Bronx — and making a difference this postseason — is an ability to play second and perhaps third.
“Anthony is a competitor,” Fiorito said. “He’s dialed in. He knows where everybody’s got to be on the field at all times. And he’s in the right spot at the right time. That makes you feel good about him.”
And Fiorito has been most impressed with Volpe’s consistency at other parts of the infield.
“He’s made some really good plays there, but he’s also made the ones you expect him to and that’s what you need this time of year,’’ Fiorito said.
