Hollywood couldn’t have written a better start to Aaron Judge’s career, as he homered in his first at-bat in August 2016. And, in a sequel that would’ve been just as big, the ending to Judge’s 2022 regular season saw him homer in the top of the first of what was his final game of the year last October to set the new American League home run record.
Folks, the buckle up, because this just became a trilogy that even The Godfather saga can’t touch.
Thursday afternoon, after a winter that started with wonder if Judge would return and ended with a $360 million deal and the Captaincy, Aaron James Judge took the second pitch he saw in the 2023 season deep into Monument Park – home of shrines to many Yankees captains before him – for his first career Opening Day home run and the Yankees’ first lead of the year:
Even better, it came against the Giants, the team that was seemingly Judge's biggest suitor this winter. Instead of hitting in the top of the inning for San Fran, though, he hit second in the bottom of the frame and launched one that went 422 feet and landed in the netting protecting Yankees history…a place that Judge is likely to be sometime in the 2030s himself.
After feeling the heartbreak of coming up short in the Judge sweepstakes this winter, Giants fans got an early gut-punch to begin 2023.
Follow Lou DiPietro on Twitter: @LouDiPietroWFAN
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