Anthony Volpe’s rookie season overall did not go quite as he hoped, but at least his defense was golden.
The Yankees shortstop was named an American Gold Glove winner on Sunday night, becoming the first rookie in franchise history to take home the award.
While Volpe had his fair share of ups and downs offensively – though he was the first Yankees rookie to join the 20-20 club – he was much more consistent defensively.
There were questions coming into the season about whether Volpe would be able to stick at shortstop long-term, but the 22-year-old showed he was plenty capable in his first go-around.
“I think he’s got a real chance to win the Gold Glove,” manager Aaron Boone said on the final day of the regular season. “To do that at shortstop, at a premium position like that, is huge.”
Volpe beat out a pair of veteran stars in Corey Seager and Carlos Correa for the AL award.
The Cubs’ Dansby Swanson won the NL award at shortstop, for which Mets star Francisco Lindor was a finalist.
Joining his childhood idol, Derek Jeter, as the second Yankees shortstop to win a Gold Glove, Volpe also became the youngest shortstop to win the honor, surpassing Alan Trammell in 1980, per MLB.com.
Volpe finished second among AL shortstops with 15 Defensive Runs Saved, per FanGraphs, and was tied for sixth with one Out Above Average, per Baseball Savant.
He did make 17 errors, but what he lacked in arm strength he made up for with his baseball instincts.
“Honestly, whereas I thought he would be able to handle shortstop, I guess that’s where he’s impressed me the most,” Boone said late in the season. “I don’t know that I expected him to be this good at the position this early. All the little nuance things, the routine, he’s just really, really good at.
“He plays the position so fast and with great energy but without being out of control. That’s why I think he’s done a great job with the routine play. But because he plays the game so fast and with intensity, he’s got great range and he really uses his feet well to cut down angles to give himself an opportunity to make difficult plays without doing it with a great arm.”