Better First Month: New York Yankees’ Rookie Sensation, or ‘The Captain’?
Since the day he first stepped foot on the field at Yankee Stadium, Anthony Volpe was compared to 'The Captain', Derek Jeter.
It's not a surprising comparison to make. When you're a rookie, and you're the shortstop for the New York Yankees, the bar for success has been set pretty high already. During his first full season in the league in 1996, Jeter won the American League Rookie of the Year, the first of many awards he won during his illustrious career in The Bronx.
Volpe, meanwhile, has just completed his first full month in Major League Baseball. How does his first month compare to Derek Jeter's?
Comparing Volpe's First Month as a Rookie to Derek Jeter's in 1996
As Anthony Volpe begins his second full month with the New York Yankees, we wanted to look back on his performance in April, and compare his numbers as a rookie to those of Derek Jeter.
Now, keep something in-mind: Jeter played in a handful of games during the 1995 regular season, but did not fulfill the games-played requirement to be considered a "rookie" in the league.
So, Jeter had a leg-up on his competition, Anthony Volpe, in that way.
Here is the statistical comparison of Jeter and Volpe as rookies in March/April, per Baseball Reference:
- Games Played: Volpe 29, Jeter 22
- At-Bats: Volpe 92, Jeter 73
- Hits: Volpe 20, Jeter 20
- Doubles: Volpe 3, Jeter 0
- Home Runs: Volpe 2, Jeter 1
- RBIs: Jeter 10, Volpe 8
- Walks: Volpe 16, Jeter 13
- Strikeouts: Jeter 18, Volpe 31
- Stolen Bases: Volpe 8 (0 caught), Jeter 3 (2 caught)
- Batting Average: Jeter .274, Volpe .217
- OPS: Jeter .740, Volpe .670
- Defensive Chances (Put-Outs, Assists and Errors): Jeter 101, Volpe 93
- Errors (at SS): Volpe 3, Jeter 2
Based on those numbers, one can certainly argue that Derek Jeter was more productive than Anthony Volpe when comparing the first month of their "rookie" seasons. It wasn't a blow-out, however, and Volpe looked as though he was beginning to hit his stride as the month came to an end.
It's unfair to think that Anthony Volpe will be the "next Derek Jeter" for the New York Yankees. That said, it's fair to say that, compared to "The Captain", Volpe really is off to a decent start to his career, and could develop into a special player.