CC Sabathia thinks the Yankees have a bigger problem than any one young player: the spotlight itself.
The former ace, whose No. 52 will be retired on Sept. 26, said Monday that the organization needs to do more to shield its homegrown players from the kind of instant verdicts that have become routine in the Bronx. He pointed to Anthony Volpe as the latest example of how quickly a young Yankee can get boxed in by expectations.
“It’s hard to watch, right?” Sabathia said at his PitCCh In Foundation’s 6th Annual Golf Classic at Alpine Country Club, when asked by Outkick what Volpe has gone through.
“Because he’s from here, he wants to do well. And I just watched so many young players for the Yankees, whether it’s Gary Sanchez, whether it was Miguel Andujar, whoever it is, you get a label and that’s what it is, which sucks especially for a young player.
I feel like the only young player that came in and did well was Judge because he hit 50 homers and everybody was off his back. So, it’s hard to build up equity with the fan base when you’re so young.
“George Lombard [Jr.] just went through the same thing. He had six errors in a row, and you started hearing grumblings and all these different things.
So, it’s hard to develop here as a young player and I think the Yankees need to do a better job to insulating these guys and helping them understand what it is to put on the pinstripes. There’s going to be ups and downs, you gotta cancel out the noise and go out and play baseball every single day.”
Volpe’s path has been a sharp example of that pressure. He was the Yankees’ starting shortstop on a team that reached the World Series two years ago and won a Gold Glove, but injuries and uneven play at shortstop pushed him out of favor with fans.
Now the organization has helped him remake himself as a solid second baseman, and he delivered a big two-run hit in Wednesday’s 5-4, 13-inning loss to the Minnesota Twins. He has handled the move and the demotion without complaint, focused on helping the team win.
Sabathia said that sort of response is exactly why he believes Volpe can still carve out a future, no matter where he ends up playing.
“You think about Volpe’s perseverance and determination - what else is he going to do? He’s not going to quit,” Sabathia said.
“This is what he wanted to do his whole life. He wanted to play baseball his whole life, and he’s been in tough situations.
Baseball is a hard game, but I think he’ll be better for sure, whether he’s playing second base, whether he’s playing shortstop in the Bronx or somewhere else.
“Wherever it is, he’s talented enough to play the game. Hopefully he can do some things well and help us down the stretch.
Jazz can get healthy, they can platoon. We’ll see what happens.
But I’m super excited for his future, not only here but if it’s somewhere else, too.”
Sabathia also widened the lens beyond Volpe, saying the Yankees’ young players too often get “labeled” before they have a chance to settle in. He brought up several recent examples - Clint Frazier, Greg Bird, Deivi Garcia, Miguel Andujar and Gary Sanchez - and said Aaron Judge remains the rare exception because his power burst gave fans immediate proof.
The Yankees’ current group of homegrown players includes Judge, Will Warren, Ben Rice, George Lombard Jr. and Spencer Jones, with Judge standing out as the superstar and the others showing they can contribute on a playoff team.
Sabathia said the Yankees do have veteran voices such as Judge, Gerrit Cole, Giancarlo Stanton and Paul Goldschmidt who can help guide younger players through the noise. Still, he argued the burden in New York is unlike anywhere else.
“This is the only place it happens,” Sabathia said of the hype surrounding young players. “If you think about anywhere else, it doesn’t happen anywhere else.
You think about what Roman Anthony is going through in Boston. If that was here in New York, it would be leading Sportscenter every single day.”
The Yankees are still chasing their 28th World Series title, and Sabathia’s point was clear: in New York, the conversation around young players can turn fast, and it rarely lets up.
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