Yankees CF Harrison Bader in awe of Anthony Volpe after career first grand slam: "The kid's got juice"
On Wednesday night, the New York Yankees clinched an 11-3 victory over the Oakland Athletics, with rookie shortstop Anthony Volpe stealing the show by recording the first grand slam of his career. The rookie shortstop has been a standout performer for the Yankees this season and has established himself as one of the frontrunners for the Rookie of the Year award. Teammate Harrison Bader had some great things to say about the youngster after the game and acknowledged Volpe's talent and what he adds to the team.
Anthony Volpe was selected by the Yankees in the first round of the 2019 MLB draft and went on to represent several minor league teams affiliated with the Yankees organization. After a strong showing in 2022, he continued to impress during Spring Training and secured his spot on the roster for the Opening Day.
Interestingly, it took baseball legend Derek Jeter 155 plate appearances to hit his first grand slam, while Volpe achieved this feat in just 132. The moment came in the fifth inning against Athletics reliever Rico Garcia when Volpe smashed a 419-foot, 107.4 MPH blast to center field, bringing the score to 11-2 in favor of the Yankees. This also made him the youngest Yankee to hit a grand slam at the Yankee Stadium.
Teammate Harrison Bader was full of praise for the youngster during the post game interview, saying,
"The kid's got juice there's no doubt about it."
Bader's thoughts on Volpe: https://t.co/LFyfkSLKtz
ANTHONY VOLPE GRAND SLAM! https://t.co/uH5TCEoAzm
Anthony Volpe and the Yankees complete their first sweep of the season
The New York Yankees completed their first sweep of the MLB season against the Oakland Athletics with a high flying end to the series. While Anthony Volpe recorded his first grand slam, Harrison Bader and DJ LeMahieu also homered for the bombers on the night. The Yankees will now look to continue their winning streak when they take on the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday.