Who else? Judge hits first home run of 2023
NEW YORK — There have been chants of “M-V-P!” as Aaron Judge strode towards residence plate within the first inning on Opening Day, digging his proper cleat throughout the grime of the batter’s field as he ready for his first official at-bat since being named the sixteenth captain in Yankees franchise historical past.
It took all of two pitches for Judge to choose up the place he left off. Having eclipsed Roger Maris’ single-season American League document with 62 residence runs final yr, Judge belted the Majors’ first of 2023, powering a Logan Webb sinker over the center-field wall at Yankee Stadium.
Judge’s drive got here off the bat at an exit velocity of 109.3 mph and traveled a Statcast-projected 422 ft. It additionally got here in opposition to the Giants, one of many golf equipment that tried to signal Judge this previous offseason.
San Francisco had prolonged a nine-year, $360 million proposal to Judge’s representatives, a suggestion that prompted Judge and managing common accomplice Hal Steinbrenner to interact in a late-night worldwide telephone name that successfully secured the identical phrases to maintain Judge in pinstripes.
“Number one for me was winning; I wanted to go to an organization that was ready to win now,” Judge stated earlier than Thursday’s sport. “All the groups I used to be speaking to have been in ‘win-now’ mode, which was nice. I talked about prospects developing, who do you’ve gotten that’s going to be within the pipeline?
“If I was going to be somewhere for nine-plus years, I wanted to be surrounded by some guys that would be ready to go now. Those were the top two. It would have been nice to be home in California and be a little closer to family, but this city has kind of become my family now.”
Yankees supervisor Aaron Boone acknowledged that he had briefly thought of the potential of Judge wearing Giants orange and black for this Opening Day.
“I did tell him yesterday, especially with the Giants being in town, one of my lowest, darkest places this winter was when I thought it was in jeopardy that he was coming back,” Boone stated. “Picturing him on the third-base line in a Giants uniform on Opening Day, that was not a superb thought.
“I am thrilled that he’s here where he belongs, as the captain of this team, where he’s going to finish an amazing career. He’s everything you could want in a great player, a great leader and a captain. I’m just grateful that I get to continue to be his manager.”
