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Anthony Volpe's performance in the upcoming season will determine his future with the Yankees, as fans and scouts express skepticism about his abilities. Willie Randolph, a Yankees legend, believes in Volpe's potential but acknowledges the pressure he faces.
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It wonāt be long before the curtain rises on the third act of Anthony Volpeās career. Depending on who you ask, the 24-year-old is destined for a comeback for the ages ā or more of the same under-performance that would likely spell the end of his time in pinstripes.
The Yankees have so far been Volpeās biggest boosters, insisting the everyday job at shortstop has always been his, injured or not. But scouts are less certain. The fans are equally skeptical. Volpe will become a target if he struggles in his first 50 at-bats.
I posed the question to Willie Randolph. Heās known Volpe since he was a teenager at Delbarton and worked with him as a guest instructor in spring training. Randolph is one of the franchiseās experts in succeeding in front of tough Bronx crowds.
Randolph is also joining the YES Network as a post-game analyst. Heās been around since the 1970s and can, in the same conversation, trot out a Reggie Jackson anecdote, diagnose Aaron Judgeās swing and tell us what to look for in Volpeās career crossroads.
āIāll be really interested to see if heās broken everything down after getting hurt and decided, āIāve got to have a different approach at the plate,āā Randolph said in a telephone interview this week.
āVolpe is smart, he works hard and heās got a beautiful swing. He really does. But heās got that little loop, which I donāt like. Heās got to keep that swing flat and stay right-center.
āI know itās not easy to change. Baseball players are creatures of habit. The sport is about repetition, repetition, repetition. Sometimes the only way to change is completely break everything down to the basics and start over.
āIf Anthony does that, and cuts down on the strikeouts, makes more contact, heāll hit 20 (home runs) easy.ā
Anthony Volpe faces skepticism from fans and scouts regarding his performance, which could impact his future with the team.
Willie Randolph is a Yankees legend and former player who has worked with Volpe since his teenage years and is now a post-game analyst.
The first 50 at-bats are crucial for Volpe as they will likely determine how fans and scouts perceive his performance and future with the Yankees.
The Yankees organization has been supportive of Volpe, insisting that the shortstop position is his, despite concerns about his performance.

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The Yankees would be thrilled with even 12-15 home runs from Volpe in exchange for another 50 points over last yearās .212 average. When Randolph says Volpe āneeds to get going,ā heās repeating a franchise-wide consensus.
The Yankees are expecting more from Volpe this time around. Jose Caballero has shown flashes of athleticism and charisma but failed to make a slam-dunk case for himself as the Plan B at shortstop.
That means the door is wide open for Volpe, who could join the team next week in Texas, to reclaim the position. The Yankees have been patient and are still saying all the right things in support of Volpe. But it has to be a two-way relationship. Aaron Boone and the front office need something in return from Volpe to justify their faith.
Of course, that wonāt be the only topic of conversation as the Yankees roll through this long road trip. Either way, Randolphās debut in the studio on Friday will be worth watching. The YES post-game roster lineup continues to expand with former players, like Dellin Betances, Adam Ottavino and Todd Frazier.
But none have Randolphās history or his resume: 18-year career, former captain, six rings (two with the 1977-78 Yankees, four others as a coach in 1996, 1998-2000), five-time All-Star, Mets manager from 2005-2008.
āThereās so much knowledge there that the audience will benefit from,ā said Jared Boshnack, YESā executive producer and vice president of production.
āWith Willie and his history of leadership, Iām really excited about this idea.ā
Randolph will begin slowly ā one series a month in the studio ā with room for growth. By mid-summer, YES execs expect Randolph will have navigated the fine line between his affinity for the Yankees and having to be a truth teller during losing streaks.
āIām going to be straight,ā Randolph said. āIām not going to kill them, but if they stink, Iām going to say, āthey stink.ā If I go on the air and start bluffing everyone, the fans are going to say, āwhat is that?ā
āIām going to be fair, but Iām not going to be a homer. Thatās just not me.ā
Randolph is catching the Yankees at the right time, in the middle of a six-game winning streak that included a dramatic sweep of the Red Sox at Fenway this week.
āI will be shocked if the Yankees donāt win the division,ā he said. āAt this point, theyāre really balanced. They have a good group of guys who play for each other. I love that.
āIām in the clubhouse with them (in spring training), so I know the chemistry. Sometimes you can just tell the opposite from the outside, just by watching the body language, when a team has bad chemistry. Thatās definitely not the Yankees.ā
The debate is raging as to whether the time is right for the Yankees to sport a more modern look on the road. The lines are mostly split between younger fans, who think the Yankees should get out of the last-millennium time warp, and the purists who believe change is heresy.
I took the issue to an opponent, who asked that I not reveal whether heās a manager (former or present), coach or player. Granted anonymity, he excoriated the proposed new threads.
āIām not surprised theyāre talking about different jerseys now,ā he said. āTheyāre already starting to look like renegades.ā
How so?
āTheyāre wearing pink (Jazz Chisholmās arm sleeves), theyāve got beards, they look like just another team now. The Yankees have always been about tradition. Itās what made them special.
āItās too bad thatās changing.ā
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