New York – This opening day belonged to children.
For the first time in 70 years, two Yankees aged 25 or less deepened the first game of the season. The last time happened, Mickey Mantle was involved and the Yankees reached World Series.
Austin Wells, a 25-year-old recipient, and Anthony Volpe, a 24-year-old stop, Homers delivered Thursday On the path of a relatively windy, 4-2 Victory over the Brewers Milwaukee. Southpaw Carlos Rodón crossed 5 1/3 rounds in place of the injured AS Gerrit Cole. Captain Aaron judges a double opportun that made the third goal of the seventh. Things have become hairy for a new closer Devin Williams against his former club in the ninth, but the All-Star held its first backup in stripes.
Advertisement
And fans of the house – every 46,208 of them – returned home happy in a spring afternoon appropriately in the Big Apple.
Included were all the usual Pomp and circumstance of the opening day. The draped colorful bruant of the upper bridge, pre-match alignment presentations for the two teams, the oversized flag during the national anthem. The buzz, the hope of a new season, the promise of spring.
These pre-match presentations also provided the first real overview of Gerrit Cole since the winner of Cy Young 2023 has undergone end -of -season elbow surgery March 11. The star launcher, his repaired arm protected by a black mechanical splint, clearly traveled the first bump line with his left hand. There was also a emotional moment of silence to Miller Gardner, the son of the former Yankee Brett Gardner who died last week at the age of 14.
Advertisement
Before all the ceremony, while fans were walking in the stadium, a video played on the Yankee Jumbotron stadium defending the inter -seison of the club. The star quartet – Williams, the Voltger Cody Bellinger, the first goal player Paul Goldschmidt and the starter Max Fried – have two MVPs, 13 star games and eight gold gloves. Lose the supernova from around the world Juan Soto to the food Was the plan A of the offseason, but the Yankees received deserved applause around the industry for their admirable pivot in winter.
However, match n ° 1 of 2025 was a reminder that despite the new flashy pieces and their many achievements, this Yankees campaign could very well rest on the shoulders of the less proven. Green players such as Wells, Volpe and 22 -year -old left -hand player Jasson Domínguez could dictate the tenor of the season.
Advertisement
“Two of our young players on which we are counting on offensive measures, Austin and Volpe, doing what they are able to do,” said manager Aaron Boone after the match. “It was tall.”
Wells, who arrived in a costume of three pieces from the Net Navy for his first departure from the opening day, became the first receiver of the 123 years of the history of the franchise to have struck the head. His place at the top of the order of striker has become a subject of major conversation as training in the spring was coming to an end. Although the construction of the programming, in general, has no huge impact on a season of 162 games, this makes radio of stellar speech. And seeing a fixed to a match in fine stripes at the Yankee Stadium was notable.
Yankees like headache because it is superb to control the typing area. He advances in the account, he does not continue, he works a lot. He sees a lot of land, but he is aggressive in the area when he needs. These are all qualities that have become more appreciated in first place in recent years.
Advertisement
And during his very first At-au-Bat of the season, Wells showed why Boone has faith in his head capacities. Wells took the first two throws he saw – armed and armed bullets from the start of Milwaukee Freddy Peralta – and on the third ground, he jumped, connecting to a high radiator. The ball met on the tense glove of the right field player Sal Flicel in the first row of the famous stadiums of the Yankee stadium. Cue roars, applause, strong music, jubilation.
It will not be the last shot of a small spor for the wells in left this season.
A round later, Volpe doubled the head of New York with a high -level archiving moon in the right field seats.
Advertisement
Two days ago, a fresh face volpe, the New Jersey Yankees fan, made his MLB debut to a great anticipation and a fanfare. During the two years that followed, he has teased the power and the offensive impact that made him a perspective so well considered while offering great value on the field and on the basics. A real escape with the bat has always seemed just around the corner.
The Yankees hope that time has finally come. Volpe struck a bullet this spring to train stronger than he has ever struck him before. The swing that produced its crank of the opening day was an impressive maneuver and upside down against a quick -top ball. It is the type of athletic movement that could make the Volpe an All-Star.
Volpe and Wells are crucial not only for this season, but also at the next half of the Yankees baseball. Aaron Judge will be 33 years old in April. Cole will be 35 on his return next season. Goldschmidt, Williams and Bellinger can be free agents this winter. Jazz Chisholm could leave next winter.
Advertisement
And so, the Volpe flowers, Wells and Domínguez is not a pipe dream or a good bonus. It is, as Boone said, something on which the Yankees “count”.
“These guys will be a large part of our future – and our success this year.”
