Anthony Volpe, Gunnar Henderson poised to be next great AL East shortstop battle

BALTIMORE — Anthony Volpe and Gunnar Henderson have been crossing paths since they were in high school.

Now they seem poised to have a young, star shortstop battle within the AL East for years to come.

Henderson is off to a blazing start for the Orioles, hitting his 10th home run of the season in Monday’s 2-0 win over the Yankees, while Volpe has shown early signs of making a big leap himself in his sophomore season.

“I think they’re both going to have really successful, long careers,” manager Aaron Boone said before Tuesday’s game at Camden Yards. “Obviously what Gunnar’s doing, we saw it most of the year last year, just how dynamic an all-around player he is. Obviously Anthony, we feel like he’s going to be our shortstop for a long, long time. We’re seeing him continue to get better and better. I think both organizations are in really good shape from a shortstop standpoint for a number of years.”

The two members of the 2019 draft class — Volpe going 30th to the Yankees and Henderson 42nd (the first pick of the second round) to the Orioles — are both capable of impacting the game in multiple ways, whether from their spots atop the lineup or in the field.

The AL East once had young shortstops Derek Jeter and Nomar Garciaparra going head-to-head at the heart of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry. Volpe and Henderson have some work to do before any of those comparisons begin, but they have the potential to be right in the middle of the Yankees and Orioles’ battle for the division this year and beyond.