The number 11 just got more popular again at Yankee Stadium.
After wearing 77 during a spring training in which he won the Yankees’ starting shortstop job, Anthony Volpe has settled on No. 11 on the eve of making his MLB debut on Opening Day on Thursday, the team announced.
Aside from 0, which will be worn this season by Domingo German, 11 is the lowest Yankees number not retired.
Volpe will be the first to wear it since Brett Gardner used 11 from 2008-2021.
Before landing on 11, Volpe placed a call to Gardner, who gave the rookie his blessing to wear it, Gardner’s agent, Joe Bick, confirmed.
YES Network’s Jack Curry first reported the conversation between Volpe and Gardner.
During his journey to the Yankees, Volpe wore a handful of different numbers — including No. 2 in the Area Code games for Derek Jeter, his favorite player growing up; No. 7 in high school and most of the minor leagues, for Mickey Mantle, his grandfather’s favorite player; and No. 77 in spring training, which was assigned to him by the team.
Mantle’s No. 7 is retired by the Yankees.
Other Yankees to previously wear No. 11 include Lefty Gomez, Dwight Gooden, Gary Sheffield and Chuck Knoblauch, who used it through the 2001 season — the same year Volpe was born.