The standard way to take a lead and steal a base is with a three-to-four-step lead that ends up around 12 feet. After that, you try to catch a jump as soon as the pitcher lifts their leg. What Volpe did against Cobb was entirely different. He took a small two-step primary lead, then a quick shuffle step. The timing of the shuffle is crucial: Your goal as a runner is to time it so that the pitcher begins their delivery while you’re in the air or as you’re landing. If your shuffle ends before the pitcher begins their delivery, you simply stop and take a standard lead. Volpe’s lead was slightly different here because he realized in his first small shuffle that Cobb was not delivering the ball. He then adjusted mid-air so he would have time to execute an aggressive shuffle. In doing that, he set himself up to take the base with ease.

There are several reasons why the vault lead isn’t commonplace in MLB. First, if a pitcher knows that you’re a vaulter, they’ll throw over endlessly. If a pitcher throws over as you’re in the air, the odds of you getting caught skyrocket. On top of that, MLB pitchers have better pickoff moves than minor leaguers or college pitchers; they’re more athletic and have stronger arms. And before this year’s rule changes, pitchers were better able to vary their timing to the plate; with no pitch timer, you could hold the ball as long as you wanted to keep the runner flatfooted. The addition of limited pickoffs and the pitch timer have drastically decreased the options for pitchers, but that doesn’t make stealing via the vault lead automatic. You still have to execute your timing well.

The Yankees will have a 21-year-old New Jersey product starting at shortstop on Opening Day.

Anthony Volpe has won the shortstop battle the Yankees held during spring training, consistently showing off his all-around game and the high potential that team officials had been raving about since drafting him in the first round in 2019.

Volpe entered camp seemingly with the longest odds to win the job, with Isiah Kiner-Falefa the incumbent and Oswald Peraza ahead in his development path after making a one-month cameo at the end of last season.

Unlike Kiner-Falefa and Peraza, Volpe was not on the 40-man roster and had only played 22 games at Triple-A, a knock because the Yankees typically like their prospects to conquer each level of the minor leagues before moving up.