Anthony Volpe, Yankees top prospect, makes opening day roster

March 27 (UPI) -- Shortstop Anthony Volpe, the New York Yankees' top prospect and No. 5 overall prospect, will be part of the 26-man opening day roster, the team announced.

They will host the San Francisco Giants in their season opener at 1:05 p.m. EDT Thursday at Yankee Stadium.

The Yankees announced that Volpe made the cut Sunday afternoon.

"We entered camp with an open competition," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told reporters, according to MLB.com. "We said it publicly and we said it privately.

"The obvious exclamation point here is Anthony Volpe came into camp and took this position."

Volpe competed for the spot with incumbent shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa and fellow minor leaguer Oswald Peraza.

Peraza was sent down to Triple-A on Sunday night. The Yankees sent left-handed pitcher Matt Krook to the Scranton-Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, their Triple-A affiliate. Catcher Carlos Narvaez and left-handed pitcher Nick Ramirez were reassigned to minor league camp in another transaction.

Volpe, 21, hit .314 (16 for 51) through 17 spring training appearances. The right-handed infielder stole five bases and hit three home runs, six doubles and a triple. He scored 13 runs and drove in five.

The No. 30 overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft hit .249 with 21 home runs, 65 RBIs and 50 steals in 132 games in 2022 at the Double-A and Triple-A levels.

Volpe hit .294 with 27 homers, 86 RBIs and 33 steals in 109 minor league games in 2021. He hit .263 with 50 homers, 162 RBIs and 89 steals in 275 games in three total seasons at the minor league and rookie league levels.

The Yankees posted a video on social media showing manager Aaron Boone and Cashman sitting in a room with Volpe to inform him of his promotion to the big leagues.

Boone started the interaction by teasing Volpe by telling him it was a "difficult conversation to have." He then said he thinks his continued development should "happen in the big leagues."

Volpe said "my heart is beating" before he exchanged hugs with Boone and Cashman to celebrate the promotion.

The Yankees will finish their preseason with games Monday and Tuesday.