Opening Day, Bronx-Style

Bryan Hoch, reporting for MLB:

There were familiar chants of “M-V-P!” as Aaron Judge strode toward home plate in the first inning on Opening Day, digging his right cleat across the dirt of the batter’s box as he prepared for his first official at-bat since being named the 16th captain in Yankees franchise history.

It took all of two pitches for Judge to pick up where he left off. Having eclipsed Roger Maris’ single-season American League record with 62 home runs last year, Judge belted the Majors’ first of 2023, powering a Logan Webb sinker over the center-field wall at Yankee Stadium as the Yankees cruised to a 5-0 win over the Giants on Thursday.

Opening Day is one of my favorite holidays of the year.

In addition to Judge’s homer and Gerrit Cole’s 11 strikeouts, the game also marked the debut of 21-year-old rookie shortstop Anthony Volpe, the youngest player to start on Opening Day for the Yankees since Derek Jeter. No shame in losing to the Yankees, Giants fans. (Giants starter Logan Webb struck out 12 and gave up only 4 hits in 6 innings — a hell of a good outing that looks crooked on the scoreboard.)

★ Thursday, 30 March 2023