Yankees pick Anthony Volpe at No. 30 overall in the 2019 MLB Draft

Looking to the Garden State for their first-round pick, the Yankees chose shortstop Anthony Volpe out of Morristown’s Delbarton School.

Volpe, who resides in Watchung, was selected 30th overall in Monday's First-Year Player Draft. 

The right-handed hitting Volpe has a verbal commitment to Vanderbilt, as does his more widely known teammate, right-hander Jack Leiter – the son of former Mets and Yankees lefty Al Leiter.

Volpe, 18, is the Yankees’ first New Jersey high school player taken with their first selection since third baseman and Florham Park resident Eric Duncan out of Seton Hall Prep in 2003.

Per MLB.com, his projected signing bonus would be $2.37 million should he decide to play professionally.

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“We like a lot about him,” said Damon Oppenheimer, Yankees Vice President of Domestic Amateur Scouting, in a statement released by the club.

The 5-foot-11, 180-pound Volpe projects as a shortstop according to Oppenheimer.

"The guy can hit, he can run, he’s got plus actions, he’s got really good hands, and he’s got a shortstop’s arm. He’s got tools,'' Oppenheimer said. "He’s been on the big stage with the USA national teams, so he’s got performance, and with a deluxe make-up, the kid brings it every day.”

During MLB Network’s draft coverage, analyst and former big-league general manager Dan O’Dowd, who grew up in Montville, said he “loved the kid’’ and praised Volpe’s instincts for the game.

“He’s always in the right place at the right time, he’s an exceptional defensive infielder,’’ said O’Dowd. “Great glove-to-hand transfer.’’

Offensively, “he’s a solid average-to-plus runner, and I like the bat. He’s not undersized for me because there’s strength in the body.’’

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Projecting ahead, O’Dowd compared Volpe to a “Jay Bell, Michael Young’’ type. “I think this is an exceptional pick at this point and time in the draft.’’

A former Gold Glove and Silver Slugger award winner, Bell is currently the Yankees’ manager at Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Young was a seven-time All-Star and a Gold Glove award winner.

Volpe was rated as the No. 52 prospect by Baseball America magazine and the No. 63 prospect by MLB.com.

Last year, the Yankees went with Georgia high school catcher Anthony Seigler with their first-round pick (23rd overall).

The last time the Yankees chose a shortstop in the first round, they selected Kyle Holder in 2015 (30th overall) out of the University of San Diego. The Yanks used their first selection that year (16th overall) to draft right-hander James Kaprielian out of UCLA.

And the last high school shortstop the Yankees selected in the first round was Cito Culver (2010 draft, 32nd overall), who stalled in their minor league system. 

Additionally, the Yankees selected college lefty TJ Sikkema with the No. 38 pick overall.

That selection came from the Cincinnati Reds, as part of the Sonny Gray trade.

Sikkema, 20, an Iowan out of the University of Missouri, was rated as the No. 57 propsect by MLB.com and the No. 81 prospected by Baseball America.

“Sikkema has a unique ability to throw from different angles,” said Oppenheimer. “He’s got plus stuff, he throws it for strikes, and the guy’s a real ultimate competitor.

"He really gets after it on the mound. He can probably get to the big leagues quickly as a reliever, but we see him as a starter. When you can get a guy who pitched in the SEC with success, it goes a long way.”

LSU infielder Josh Smith was selected by the Yankees with the 67th pick.

A shortstop at LSU, "we see him as a middle infielder, whether it’s short, whether it’s second, whatever it takes,'' Oppenheimer said. "He’s a left-handed hitter with pop and he can really hit.

"We like the fact that he has the tools to stay in the middle of the field and be a good offensive contributor.”