Anthony Volpe’s minor league splits make the trade even more difficult

It’s getting harder and harder for the New York Yankees to trade Anthony Volpe because he’s playing so well.

Luis Castillo doesn’t bat for that New York Yankees this year because of a player. It’s all Anthony Volpe’s fault.

Well, not exactly. It’s thanks to him that the Yankees at shortstop are confident about their future. The best prospects they have according to pretty much anywhere you would check, his recent stretch on the farm will make it even harder for Brian Cashman to sell him for anything but a superstar.

Yankees hold their own by not trading Anthony Volpe

Volpe is under pressure to live up to the hype. The Yankees were unwilling to sacrifice his potential to the Cincinnati Reds for Castillo. You’ll probably hesitate to do the same thing in a trade for others this summer.

Volpe’s mix of power, speed and just regular contact in getting the ball in play bodes extremely well for what’s next. His rise through the Yankees farm system has been closely watched since the team first drafted him in 2019. He started out slow on those first 150 record appearances immediately after being signed. When the minor league game returned in 2021, Volpe jumped up the ladder and his .294/.423/.604 slash with 27 homers, 86 RBI and 33 stolen bases made him an instant star of the future.

But as with all prospects, there are always questions. With every progress he makes through the system, can he continue to bat at this level?

After a slow start to Double-A in 2022 with the Somerset Patriots, Volpe is now hitting .253/.350/.473 on the year. With this recent hot stretch, he now has 25 doubles, 15 homers, 49 RBI, and 37 stolen bases. It wouldn’t be surprising if he levels up very soon and the numbers go down before he finds out Triple-A around this time next season.

Every tool the Yankees could want from him exists. He can run. He can seek power. Volpe can even draw walks. Cashman has endured trading him for so long. As Volpe continues to rake in, no one should expect him to change his mind.