The Yankees are eagerly anticipating the benefits of Anthony Volpe’s promotion to starting shortstop, which include his impressive bat, solid defensive skills, speed, and exceptional work ethic. Additionally, there’s the potential for an extra draft pick.
The Collective Bargaining Agreement introduces a Prospect Promotion Incentive designed to reward teams for bringing up top prospects for Opening Day instead of delaying their promotion to extend control.
If a player is listed in at least two Top 100 lists from MLB Pipeline, ESPN, and Baseball America for Opening Day and finishes in the top five of the Rookie of the Year voting, their team earns an extra pick. A Rookie of the Year win or a top-three finish in MVP voting could further earn the team an additional selection.
The Seattle Mariners were the first to benefit from this rule when outfielder Julio Rodriguez secured the AL Rookie of the Year award last year with a .284/.345/.509 batting line, 28 home runs, and 25 stolen bases. This performance earned the Mariners the 29th final pick in the 2023 Draft.
Anthony Volpe, at 21, secured the Yankees’ starting shortstop position by outperforming rookie Oswald Peraza and last year’s starter Isiah Kiner-Falefa. By early March, the competition had narrowed to Volpe versus Peraza, with Kiner-Falefa shifting to a super utility role.
Volpe distinguished himself with his bat, hitting .314 in 17 games with six doubles, a triple, three homers, five RBIs, eight walks, five steals, and a 1.064 OPS. However, Peraza, 22, has struggled, batting .190 in 15 games after an 0-for-3 performance on Sunday.