Anthony Volpe is tied with Aaron Judge for the club leader in hits

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Anthony Volpe had as many hits as his stud Yankees teammate in Aaron Judge during New York’s 2-1 series win over Boston in the wild-card series.

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Unlike Judge, one of Volpe’s hits left the yard at Yankee Stadium in a Game 1 loss to the Red Sox.

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As the anticipation grows for Saturday’s Game 1 in the ALDS, one of the biggest wild cards in Volpe, a besieged shortstop whose perception changes once the post-season arrives.

The Jays are maintaining that Bo Bichette’s status remains day to day, but in the hours leading up to Saturday’s 4 p.m. start time both teams are required to submit their playoff roster for the best-of-five series.

Bichette, who hurt his left knee last month when the Jays visited the Bronx, is unlikely to be available.

Volpe’s availability is a certainty.

His presence on the field and at the plate yet to be determined, but suffice to say the Yankees are better and more threatening when Volpe is elevating his game.

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This is a guy who was nearly run out of the Big Apple following a stretch when Volpe was very error-prone.

Anyone who watched the Yankees defeat the Red Sox saw a shortstop whose athleticism and timing were second to none.

An accomplished fielder, Andres Gimenez, Toronto’s projected starter at shortstop, is not in Volpe’s class when it comes to wielding the lumber.

Volpe did strike out three times in Saturday’s 4-0 win that vaulted the Yankees into the ALDS.

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His name is normally found at the bottom of the Yankees’ order.

During the Jays’ improbable regular season, it was the club’s bottom of the order that often came through in big moments with multiple players shining.

There’s the game within the game featuring New York’s power and the Jays’ ability to put the ball in play, the obvious need to be defensively sound and then there are the unknowns.

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An effective Volpe on both sides of the baseball gives the Yankees an edge.

During the Yankees run to the World Series last fall, Volpe hit .286, which included one homer, six runs batted in and five stolen bases.

In 2025, Volpe has persevered through a partial labrum tear in his left shoulder.

He managed to post a career-high 72 RBI season.

A dubious career milestone involved the 19 errors Volpe committed.

Prior to Thursday night’s first pitch, Yankees manager Aaron Boone was asked about Volpe.

“He’s a gamer,’’ began the skipper. “He is a tough kid. You (reporters assigned to cover the Yankees) asked me all season long how he handled (everything associated with being the starting shortstop).

“He is a guy (who) handles failure and success really well. He is super competitive, too, and likes the action.”

Chances are very good Volpe will be right in the action in some way or fashion Saturday and every day moving forward in the series.

It would be foolish to anoint Volpe as Mr. October, but this time of the year does seem to bring out his best.

He went 4-for-11 in the wild card, raising Volpe’s batting average to .300 in 17 career playoff games.

Anytime one emerges as the club leader in hits with Judge can’t be bad.

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