How Anthony Volpe delivered a Derek Jeter moment to keep the Yankees' World Series hopes alive

NEW YORK – As his individual achievements become more spotlighted, Anthony Volpe's voice becomes softer.

When asked about his performance in a particular game, the Yankees shortstop tends to dismiss the extent of his heroics before turning the attention to his teammates. That's what happened late Tuesday night, shortly after he hit a grand slam for his first career playoff home run and was brought into the Yankees' press conference room to talk about it.

While this wasn't just a typical grand slam – it gave the Yankees a much-needed early lead over the Dodgers in a Game 4 elimination game of the World Series – Volpe sat at the podium with the same shy demeanor and gentle voice that he has had ever since debut in the major league last year. It wasn't until he was asked to trace his Yankees fan base that the 23-year-old sat up a little straighter and appeared more confident, confident, in front of the cameras and in the bright lights.

“To my grandfather, the Yankees are more than just a team or an organization,” Volpe said. “Because his father fought in World War II when he was little, and when he came back, his mother basically told him, 'This is your father.' He didn't know him, didn't recognize him, didn't know anything. The way he says it, how he met and got to know his father, he sat on his lap every night and they listened to the Yankees together. So for him it's more than just sport.

It's a story he's told before, but never on the biggest national stage, when the second-year shortstop has garnered more attention and exposure than he's ever experienced. Volpe's shy nature means we may never know, at least for a while, how much that Grand Slam, which included an 11-4 victory, actually meant to him. But when you see him talk more about his teammates' accomplishments than his own, and when you listen to him talk about how much the Yankees organization means to his family, it's easy to see that Volpe's driving force as an athlete is to be tough to make him work for the people around him.

If they win, so will he.

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“I love him, he’s like a little brother to me,” Anthony Rizzo said of Volpe. “He works so hard. He cares so much about his teammates. He never really settles down. So for him to have that moment in the World Series is really special, hometown boy.”

The Yankees didn't force Game 5 against the Dodgers through Juan Soto, Aaron Judge or Giancarlo Stanton. On a chilly Tuesday evening in the Bronx, it was the Baby Bombers playing the most important game of their careers to date.

After Volpe, Yankees rookie catcher Austin Wells is the third youngest player on the Yankees World Series roster. He was 0-for-8 at the plate in the Fall Classic when Yankees manager Aaron Boone benched him for Game 3. Rizzo said it was difficult for Wells to watch from the dugout, especially with the Yankees falling 3-0 in the series , but it only made his response Tuesday more impactful.

Wells ripped a 406-foot double off the centerfield padding in his first at-bat of the night, then smashed a solo shot into right field to lead off the sixth. The rookie's second home run of the postseason not only doubled the Yankees' lead, reduced to one, but also reminded the 49,354 fans in attendance that no matter how this World Series ends, the Yankees' future behind Volpe and Wells will be bright.

“It’s not really a friendship anymore. It’s a brotherhood,” Volpe said of his relationship with Wells. “We went through all of this together. The highest of all highs and at some point also the lowest of all lows. He is my first decision, my last decision. I know he has my back through thick and thin. To experience a moment like that.” For him, it’s something special to experience a moment like that. But doing it together can't be exchanged for anything.

The Yankees catcher echoed Volpe's sentiments, adding that once he got to know the shortstop in the Yankees' minor league system, it was clear to him that they had the same goals of contributing to a historic franchise. None of them wanted to be superstars per se. They just wanted to help the Yankees win another title, even if they made only modest contributions. Unfortunately, Volpe's grip on the punch was anything but.

Wells said Volpe's grand slam in the third inning – which was followed by another two-run home run by Freddie Freeman in the first – allowed the Yankees to take a deep breath, relax and enjoy playing baseball. He said his teammates were just waiting for that “one big swing” to break out of the panic that had caused three consecutive World Series losses.

“I think in the situation we were in, we just had to say, ‘Screw it, go ahead and have fun, because some guys may never get back to the World Series,'” Wells said. “So, I just enjoyed the game and I think that allowed us to play a lot more relaxed tonight.”

It is now known that Volpe grew up in New Jersey supporting the Bronx Bombers and idolizing Derek Jeter. Now that he's essentially stepping into Jeter's shoes, the pressure to perform at the highest level in front of the world's largest media market while being scrutinized for every misstep, big or small, can be intense. Perhaps Volpe got some of the excitement in the second inning when he misread Wells' long double and tried to advance from second before having to hold on at third.

In the end, Volpe touched home plate on Alex Verdugo's RBI groundout and more than made up for his mistake with his grand slam. Still, he took responsibility after the game: “That's entirely up to me.” Initially frustrated with himself, Volpe relaxed after his teammates reminded him with their own excellent offense in Game 4 that they were coming for him.

At times, his calm demeanor makes him seem like one of the most serious guys on the Yankees roster. But left-hander Nestor Cortes set the record straight.

“He has a little fire in him. A little joy of life,” said Cortes. “He’s a bit cheeky. He's getting a little smarter, which is good. That's good for him. He was a highly touted candidate. Many people expected him to be the next Jeter. That's very difficult, I think. “He's going to be a really good player – he already is. But I think he will embrace himself and write his own story and his own chapter. He doesn't have to follow what Jeter was.

Volpe was outstanding this postseason, even before becoming the fourth-youngest player to hit a grand slam in the World Series. He entered the Fall Classic batting .310, with eight walks, six runs scored and an OPS of .804 in nine playoff games. Now the shortstop is the Yankees' World Series leader with five RBI. More importantly, he is the main reason there will be Game 5 of the World Series on Wednesday.

If he logs more moments like his grand slam, maybe he'll stand up a little taller, speak a little louder and come out of his shell.

But what Volpe has shown us so far in his young career is that he doesn't need the big spotlight or the outrageous comparisons to a Yankees Hall of Famer to win for his team.

He just has to be himself.

“The more he does it, the more he has to go out and talk,” Cortes said. “The more he becomes the player of the game, the more you will see his personality.”

Deesha Thosar is an MLB reporter for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. Deesha, the daughter of Indian immigrants, grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

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