Photo of young Anthony Volpe with Derek Jeter might break Yankees Twitter

New York Yankees Spring Training
New York Yankees Spring Training / New York Yankees/GettyImages

There's simply no coming back from this moment. Once you've seen the recently-surfaced photograph of Anthony Volpe rubbing elbows with Yankees icon Derek Jeter as a young boy, you'll never be the same.

The photo of Todd Frazier after the Little League World Series will mean nothing to you. You hear me? NOTHING.

Now 21 years old, Volpe has Yankees Universe by the tail as he prepares to begin the season at Triple-A and potentially rise to the big leagues as soon as it makes sense (with the infield picture/for service time reasons). His statistics have long indicated that he possesses all the skills in the world, but a visual always helps, and Volpe stealing two bags immediately after a pitchout has stolen the hearts of many.

Before he was an all-world shortstop and potentially special leader, though, he was just a kid from New Jersey, much like another former Yankees first-rounder who rose to prominence in the mid-90s.

Here, together for the first time -- and likely not the last -- are Volpe and Jeter, with the current prospect as the student and Mr. 3,465 as the teacher.

Yankees shortstop of the future Anthony Volpe spotted with Derek Jeter as a kid

Incredible.

It was already tough enough to avoid the Jeter vibes with Volpe, but seeing the Yankees' No. 1 prospect as just about the youngest possible upright kid in this scenario has busted our brains. It feels like the photo of Marty McFly disappearing in Back to the Future, except it's not going anywhere.

Volpe, who stayed in the dugout Monday night after being removed from his starter's role to watch his minor-league teammates (because "they would've done the same for [him"), has opened any eyes that might've still somehow been closed to start the spring. Even Aaron Boone, who works for the organization that's trying to keep Volpe down an extra few weeks, couldn't help but gush.

Even some veteran players, it was like, ‘Wow,’ Boone said Monday of the feedback he received on Volpe’s game Sunday. 'One of the things you get excited about is, in talking to [bench coach] Carlos Mendoza about it, he’s managing the game, it’s like the results were great obviously, three balls on the screws. It’s like, that’s all fine and dandy but it’s the energy and the intensity and the effort — the little things that he does that get your attention. You get excited about it.'
Aaron Boone, to the New York Post

Yankee fans need to keep perspective here. Any prospect having a top-percentile outcome is an upset, not the most likely outcome. That said ... it's been damn near impossible not to get your hopes up about Volpe, and watching him interact with Jeter 15 years ago will give even the hardest heart chills.

Now all we need is a photo of a young Volpe hi-fiving a young Frazier at the Toms River Little League World Series victory parade, and we'll be all set.