Anthony Volpe used one word to describe his expectations for Saturday’s American League Division Series opener.
“Electric,” the Yankees shortstop told The Post as the team held a workout at the Stadium.
He would know.
Volpe attended several Yankees playoff games growing up in Watchung, N.J. It was always a thrill.
“We would be sitting with our backs touching the top of the upper deck,” the 23-year-old Volpe said. “We went to the A’s wild-card game, the Twins wild-card game.”
He’ll have a much better view this October. Volpe has talked to several teammates about how much different the playoffs are. He wants to be prepared.
The best advice he’s gotten is that the postseason will feature two key things: heightened adrenaline and adversity.
“There’s a lot of excitement and I’m ready to go. This is what you play for,” Volpe said. “As a fan, it’s what you always look forward to, when the real season starts. From the flip perspective [as a player], I think it’s even cooler, because sometimes as a fan maybe you take it for granted. As a player, you know everything it takes to get to this point.”
It was an inconsistent second season for Volpe. He started off red-hot offensively, had a strong defensive year, but his numbers at the plate weren’t overly impressive.
He finished with an underwhelming slash line of .243/.293/.364 with 12 home runs, 60 RBIs and a .657 OPS.
But he appeared in 160 games and was reliable in the field, where he posted 15 outs above average at his position, according to Baseball Savant.
“Personally I view it through how the team did. There’s a lot of times I could contribute more, but at the end of the day, we were the best team in the American League,” Volpe said. “Regardless of little spots throughout the season or how I was viewed, I’m definitely happy to be a part of this team.”
Now, Volpe can really make a name for himself.
A major reason Derek Jeter was so revered by Yankees fans was his ability to come up big this time of year.
Titles are expected in The Bronx, and the Yankees haven’t reached the World Series since 2009, an eternity for them.
Nobody will remember a mediocre regular season from Volpe if he has a big month.
“That’s what the game’s all about,” he said. “That’s what being a Yankee is, how you come through, how you play in the playoffs. I’m really excited.”