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  • Jorge Castillo, ESPN Staff WriterApr 6, 2024, 08:00 AM ET

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      ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the Washington Wizards from 2014 to 2016 and the Washington Nationals from 2016 to 2018 for The Washington Post before covering the Los Angeles Dodgers and MLB for the Los Angeles Times from 2018 to 2024.

NEW YORK — All eyes at Yankee Stadium were on Anthony Volpe a year ago. That’s what happens when a 21-year-old hometown kid breaks camp as the New York Yankees‘ starting shortstop. On Friday, one week into his sophomore season, he was a sidebar for the club’s home opener. Juan Soto, not Volpe, was the newcomer everybody wanted to see. Volpe operated in the background.

If all goes as planned following an offseason of adjustments, Volpe won’t operate there for long.

“I think we’re seeing just a more mature player,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said before the Yankees’ 3-0 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday. “Not surprising considering his ability, his talent, work ethic and aptitude.”

The difference in Volpe at the plate from 2023 was immediately evident during spring training. It has already surfaced in different ways early this season, both in his production and in the batter’s box.

On Friday, for example, he got ahead 2-0 in his first plate appearance before stroking a single. He repeated the formula in his final at-bat in the ninth inning. Boone noted the difference over a week ago, during Volpe’s final plate appearance on Opening Day in Houston.

Volpe went down looking on five pitches against Josh Hader, the Astros’ all-world closer, to end the top of the ninth inning. Two of the strikes were borderline, at best. Volpe didn’t chase.

It’s not often that a batter striking out is notable, in a good way, for his manager. But Boone was impressed. A year ago, chances are Volpe would have swung at those balls off the plate. The sequence, Boone noted, represented Volpe’s improvement entering his second major league season.

“I think he looks like a way better hitter,” Boone said. “Period.”

Expectations were high when Volpe broke camp on the Yankees’ Opening Day roster last year. So was the pressure. In the end, the rookie campaign was, by most measures, a success. Volpe won a Gold Glove. He became the first rookie in Yankees history to record a 20-20 season. He played in 159 games — a notable feat for a club ravaged by injuries.

Still, his struggles making contact, magnified by the wave of injuries around him, were impossible to ignore. He batted just .209 — the third-lowest average among qualified major league hitters. His .283 on-base percentage was the second-lowest mark. He compiled a team-high 167 strikeouts.

So, Volpe went to work during the offseason.

“Simplifying a lot of stuff just helps you execute in different ways,” Volpe, now 22, said. “Luckily, we have a lot of really great guys who will help you with the approach so you’re putting yourself in good positions to execute your approach and be picky and be the type of hitter that fits in this lineup. That’s what I’m always trying to do.”

Simplifying stuff started with mechanical adjustments. Volpe’s swing is markedly “flatter” from last year. The goal: to have more coverage throughout the strike zone, particularly against high fastballs. Volpe batted .105 against high fastballs in 2023, second-to-last among qualified hitters, with an uphill swing path. Limiting movement in his upper body was another focus.

“Sometimes when he misses [the barrel],” Yankees hitting coach James Rowson said, “he still hits them hard and stays kind of through the middle.”

The modifications have produced a calmer presence at the plate, and promising numbers, a week into the season. Volpe is batting .409 with a home run and 1.182 OPS in six games. He has six strikeouts to four walks. He’s seen 4.58 pitches per plate appearance, good for first on the Yankees and 13th in the majors entering Friday.

Volpe’s behind-the-scenes efforts resonated with the Yankees’ homegrown franchise player.

“You’re seeing how, at such a young age, he’s able to evaluate his season last year,” Yankees center fielder Aaron Judge said during spring training. “He had the Gold Glove, the 20-20 season, but he was able to take a step back and really evaluate. ‘All right, I need to get better at this, this, and this.’ And then to implement that and work on that in the offseason and bring it to camp, it takes a lot.

“If I was his age, doing what he did, I don’t know if I’d be that real with myself and really sit down and be critical of the situation. That’s mature, way beyond his years.”

Volpe turns 23 later this month. For reference, Judge celebrated his 23rd birthday in Double-A. Two years later, Judge was named American League Rookie of the Year.

“I think everybody always wants to improve once they make some changes,” Judge said. “They want to improve and get better. I think he expects that. I think everybody expects that. I can’t speak for him, but I think he definitely is looking forward to 2024.”

For Volpe, it’s about putting himself in the best position to succeed. An offseason of work has improved his chances to do so, to inflict damage more consistently. On Friday, he returned to Yankee Stadium a slightly different hitter from a year ago, ready to continue making strides in front of his home crowd.

“I don’t play for the outside expectations or anything,” Volpe said. “So, regardless of what it is, I feel like I hold myself to a high standard, and I’m just going to work and prepare and live up to that.”

He’s on his way.

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Jones, ex-Huskers star and NFL RB, dies at 54

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January 24, 2025

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Jones, ex-Huskers star and NFL RB, dies at 54

  • Associated Press

Jan 24, 2025, 11:20 AM ET

OMAHA, Neb. — Calvin Jones, who rushed for more than 3,000 yards in three seasons at Nebraska and was with the Green Bay Packers when they won the Super Bowl after the 1996 season, has died. He was 54.

Police said Jones’ body was found in the basement of a house in north Omaha on Wednesday night. Police have not confirmed a cause of death pending an autopsy.

A friend of Jones, Jo Dusatko, told the Omaha World-Herald that carbon monoxide poisoning was suspected. She said the furnace in the home was not working and that Jones was using a generator in the basement.

Jones was a high school All-American at Central High School before he went to Nebraska, where he rushed for 3,166 yards and 40 touchdowns and was an All-Big Eight pick in 1992-93.

Jones and Derek Brown formed the tandem called the “We-Backs,” a nod to the Cornhuskers’ I-back position, with Jones the backup to Brown in 1991. Jones’ breakout that season came when he ran 27 times for a Big Eight freshman-record 294 yards and a school-record six touchdowns in a 59-23 victory over Kansas. His rushing total against the Jayhawks ranks No. 2 on the Nebraska single-game rushing chart.

Jones declared for the NFL draft in 1994 and was a third-round selection of the Raiders. He appeared in 15 games over two seasons with the Raiders and had a total of 27 carries for 112 yards and two catches for 6 yards. He appeared in one game for the Packers in 1996 but had no carries.

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Win city: Vegas gets CFP championship in 2027

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January 24, 2025

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Win city: Vegas gets CFP championship in 2027

Las Vegas will host the College Football Playoff national championship game at Allegiant Stadium on Jan. 25, 2027, the CFP announced Friday.

“Las Vegas has shown the world they have amazing venues and boundless energy to host an event like the College Football Playoff National Championship in spectacular fashion,” CFP executive director Rich Clark said in a statement. “I can’t think of a better stage to crown the best team in college football in 2027.”

Las Vegas will become the third city in the Pacific time zone to host the CFP title game, joining the Bay Area (2019) and Los Angeles (2023). Miami will host the next national championship game on Jan. 19 at Hard Rock Stadium, a contest that will feature the winners of the Fiesta and Peach bowls, which will host the semifinals.

Sites have not been announced beyond 2027 in Las Vegas.

“Pairing the energy of Las Vegas with the College Football Playoff National Championship will make for a truly extraordinary event, both on and off the field,” said Steve Hill, president and CEO of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. “We appreciate the opportunity the CFP has provided us to welcome college football’s greatest athletes and biggest fans for an unmatched national championship experience in the city built for celebration.”

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Ohio St. RB Judkins leaving early for NFL draft

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January 24, 2025

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Ohio St. RB Judkins leaving early for NFL draft

Ohio State star running back Quinshon Judkins is leaving school early and will declare for the NFL draft, he told ESPN.

His addition to the 2025 draft highlights another high-end tailback, as Judkins is projected to be a Top 50 pick, according to NFL scouts, and ranks as the No. 5 overall running back in the upcoming draft in Mel Kiper Jr.’s position rankings.

Judkins was at Ohio State for just one season and left as a national champion, and his decision comes off a dazzling three-touchdown performance in Ohio State’s victory over Notre Dame on Monday night. Judkins ran for 100 yards on 11 carries and scored two rushing touchdowns. He caught two passes for 21 yards and a touchdown.

“My time here at Ohio State was like no other,” Judkins told ESPN in a phone interview. “It was like no other place I’ve ever been. I enjoyed my time here so much. I’m ready to take the next step in my journey and prove I’m best running back in the draft class.”

On the season in Columbus, he ran for 1,060 yards, caught 22 passes for 161 yards and scored 16 touchdowns for the Buckeyes. Judkins split carries at Ohio State with senior tailback TreVeyon Henderson, who is Kiper’s No. 9 tailback prospect. Judkins said his time at Ohio State helped prepare him for this step, as he saw value being around so many NFL players and bonding together to win.

“My coaches helped so much take my game to next level and develop me into a better player,” he said. “It was a super beneficial mentality to have being a pro, it helped me so much in that aspect.

“Playing around the best players in the country. You get to compete against the best players. It helped me sharpen my tools.”

He came to Ohio State last year after two seasons at Ole Miss. In Oxford, he was a first-team All-SEC tailback in 2023 and set Ole Miss school records with 1,567 rushing yards and 16 rushing TDs in 2022.

Coming off three productive seasons, Judkins showcased his versatility. He finished his three-year career at OSU/Ole Miss with 4,227 yards from scrimmage and 50 touchdowns.

He’s also a threat out of the backfield in the pass game, as he has 59 catches in his career for 442 yards and five touchdowns.

Judkins’ most productive season in his career came in his true freshman season. He led the SEC in rushing attempts (274) and went on to average a career-high 5.7 yards per carry. In total, he had 1,699 yards from scrimmage. He also led the SEC in touchdowns with 17 in 2022.

“Whoever picks me is going to get a super passionate player,” he said. “A guy who makes plays on the field and can catch the ball, run the ball and pass protect. I can do so many things that have a huge impact on the game. Not only just that, but also a younger guy who can come in and have great leadership. My time at Ohio State, I’ve learned so much about that and being a great teammate as well.”

He stressed there was no better way to finish his career than with a championship.

“It’s an amazing feeling just leaving as a champions,” he said. “This is what me and my brothers and coaches set out to do to achieve that goal, and there’s no better feeling. It’s a feeling that’s also unreal to speak about, it’s something that will live forever and a memory me and my brothers will have forever.”

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