A year after facing a tough season in the Bronx, the New York Yankees are happy with their strong start. The most intimidating part for other teams? The Yankees have a lineup packed with power hitters like Juan Soto, Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Anthony Rizzo, and Alex Verdugo, and they haven’t even hit their peak yet.
The Yankees wrapped up their first road trip of the season with a 6-5 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks, giving them a 6-1 record. What’s even better for them is that they beat tough teams like the Houston Astros and the Diamondbacks, who are expected to do well this season.
“The team is pumped up and they deserve it,” said manager Aaron Boone. “I’m sure the Bronx will be buzzing on Friday.” New York has a day off before their first home game against the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday.
In Wednesday’s win, Aaron Judge hit his first home run of the season, putting the Yankees ahead 2-1 with a two-run shot to right-center field. Then, in the 11th inning, his double extended their lead to 6-4.
“You just have to keep swinging,” Judge said. “It’s early in the season, so you need to get your hits. Keep swinging at good pitches, and if you don’t get any, take a walk and let your teammates do their job.”
Judge hadn’t been performing at his best, with only three hits in 24 at-bats and one RBI before Wednesday’s game. He’s not the only one; Stanton, Rizzo, and Verdugo have also had a slow start.
Soto has been the most consistent hitter with a .345 average, but even he hasn’t been hitting many extra-base hits. Now that Judge seems to be getting back into form, the rest of the team might follow suit.
“I told him I wanted him to hit a home run during this road trip,” Boone said. “I’m glad he did. He had a great at-bat in the 11th to give us that extra run. He’s getting there. With Aaron, it’s only a matter of time.”
Verdugo, who was acquired from the Red Sox in the offseason, hit his first home run as a Yankee on Wednesday. His teammates celebrated by barking like dogs, which is one of their current celebrations. Verdugo loved it.
“Everyone here knows we have talent and we know what we’re capable of,” Verdugo said. “You just have to go out there every day with a fierce attitude. It’s not always easy, sometimes you have to fight for it. But we’ve been doing a great job during this streak.”
The Yankees’ pitching has also been strong, despite missing their star pitcher Gerrit Cole. With solid performances from Carlos Rodon, Nestor Cortes, Clarke Schmidt, Luis Gil, and Marcus Stroman, the pitching staff has a 2.72 ERA, which is the fourth-best in the league.
Last season, the Yankees finished with a disappointing 82-80 record, missing the playoffs and almost finishing below .500 for the first time since 1992. This strong start to the season might indicate that last year was just a blip.
