Aaron Judge is picking right back up where he left off.
The 2022 AL MVP went yard in his first at-bat of the 2023 MLB season in a 5-0 Yankees win over the Giants, sending a Logan Webb sinker to straightaway center field and just over the outstretched glove of Mike Yazstremski.
Judge is coming off a season where he hit 62 home runs, the most in a single season in the history of the American League.
Aaron Judge hits a home run on his first at bat against the Giants Charles Wenzelberg/New York PostIt took him one at-bat to hit his first homer of the 2023 season, as he is off and running chasing his own record.
The homer gave the Yankees a 1-0 lead over the Giants – who tried hard to poach Judge in the offseason – in the first inning of their Opening Day matchup.
Judge was named captain in the offseason after he signed a nine-year, $360 million deal to remain with the Yankees.
Judge rounds the bases to put the Yankees on the board. Charles Wenzelberg/New York PostThe superstar outfielder was close to choosing the Giants, who play not far from where Judge grew up in Linden, Ca.
He told The Post earlier in the week that he had noticed the two sides would be facing off on Opening Day.
Aaron Judge celebrates his home run with first baseman Anthony Rizzo. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post“I think I saw [Opening Day matchup] during the middle of the year last year, and I was kind of like, ‘Someone’s messing with me on MLB’s side,’ ” Judge said. “But that never really crossed my mind during the whole [free-agent] process. It is what it is. Especially if I’m going to be playing every single team no matter what, I was going to run into them eventually.”
Instead of being on the Giants’ roster, it was his first game as Yankees captain – and he started it off with a bang.
“This is going to be special — my first Opening Day as a captain and getting a chance to play against a great organization like that, we’re going to have some fun and go out there and take care of business,” he said earlier in the week.



