About Opening Day: Yanks Win!

About Yesterday Afternoon: The Yankees Hung on to Beat the Brewers 4-2

By Tim Kabel

March 28, 2025

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The Yankees opened the 2025 season with an exciting victory over the Brewers. Carlos Rodon pitched a very effective and efficient game, which is something the Yankees are going to need him to do on a regular basis this season. Austin Wells picked up where he left off in Spring Training, hitting a leadoff home run to get the Yankees out in front quickly. Devin Williams made things interesting in the 9th inning by loading the bases with nobody out but, he got out of the jam to earn the save. All in all, it was a great way to start the season.

Quick Stats – 

·       Austin Wells became the first catcher in Major League history to hit a leadoff home run on Opening Day. He also became the first catcher in Yankees’ history to bat leadoff in a game. Frankly, I'm surprised Fran Healy never did so, as he was a real speedster.

·       A few weeks ago, the Yankees did not have any left-handed relief pitchers. People were worried. Now, they have three, Tim Hill, Brent Headrick, and Ryan Yarborough.

·       Oswaldo Cabrera is the starting third baseman, for now anyway. He had one hit and scored a run.

·       Of note, Jasson Dominguez switched his uniform number from 89 to 24 and Ben Rice switched his uniform number from 93 to 22.

·       Long-time Yankees’ manager Miller Huggins, who led the Yankees to three World Series victories, was born on March 27th, 1879. Interestingly, Patty Smith Hill, who wrote the most popular song in the world, “Happy Birthday to You” was born on March 27th, 1868. Nobody sang anything at the time, because she hadn't written the song yet.

The Big Story – 

It was just one game but, you had to like what you saw yesterday from the Yankees. It seems that they will have a solid lineup and the infusion of youth could prove to be a very exciting development this season. The Yankees had home runs from Austin Wells and Anthony Volpe. Ben Rice added a booming double off the rightfield wall. The issue will be whether the starting rotation will be sufficient, especially during the absences of Clarke Schmidt and Luis Gil. If Marcus Stroman, Will Warren, and Carlos Carrasco can contribute in a positive way, the Yankees have a legitimate chance to at least make the playoffs. It was the first day of the season. Let's just enjoy yesterday's victory and see what the next few days bring.

Player of the Game – 

Carlos Rodon pitched 5.1 innings, allowing one run, striking out seven, and walking two. He gave the fans and the team a scary moment when he fell covering first base, but seemed to be fine afterward. He did a very nice job to open the season.

Notable Performances – 

Austin Wells hit that historic leadoff home run and did his usual fine job behind the plate. He could very well be considered one of the best catchers in Baseball by the end of the season. Remember, he is a product of the Yankees’ farm system. Another homegrown Yankee, Anthony Volpe, added a home run. The best part about that was that it was hit to rightfield and was not an attempt by Volpe to pull the ball.

Better To Forget-

There really wasn't anything to complain about in yesterday's game. However, before the game, ESPN aired an interview with Juan Soto. I have always felt that one of the reasons he left the Yankees was that he did not want to be in Aaron Judge's shadow. He wants to be the star. In the interview, Soto was asked who he thought was the best hitter in the history of baseball. His response? “I would have to say myself.” The interviewer laughed because he assumed it was a joke. It wasn't. Soto added that until someone proved him wrong that was his belief. He was then asked what other hitters he would rank at the top. He named Freddie Freeman, Albert Pujols, and Mike Trout. He did not mention Aaron Judge. As talented as Soto is, it may be for the best that he is no longer with the Yankees.

My Take –  

It was a beautiful day in the Bronx yesterday. The Yankees played well, and it was a crisp and exciting ball game. Yet, there was a concern. It's like when you eat a wonderful meal at a restaurant and then, you find a little hair in your cream puff. It doesn't necessarily ruin the meal, but it takes a little of the luster off it.

We heard all through Spring Training that Jasson Dominguez would be given the chance to develop as the Yankees’ starting leftfielder. Before the end of last season, centerfield had been his primary position. He rarely, if ever, played in either of the corner positions. Yet, the Yankees decided that they wanted him to become a leftfielder. He struggled defensively last year and as a result, Alex Verdugo was the starter down the stretch and into the playoffs. Dominguez was glued to the bench. Aaron Boone pontificated long and hard about how Dominguez would be given “a lane” to earn the job as the starting leftfielder. At the very beginning of Spring Training, he had a few struggles, primarily due to the conditions in Florida, which have confounded more experienced players than Dominguez. He reported early to Spring Training to work on his defense and works on it every day with the coaches. Boone recently stated that Dominguez made a great deal of progress. That is wonderful. That is what we want to see and hear.

Yet, on Opening Day, at home, Boone pulled Dominguez late in the game and inserted Trent Grisham as a defensive replacement, putting him in centerfield and shifting Cody Bellinger to leftfield. Maybe it's not a big deal but, it is a seed. Many fans, me included, have stated for years that Aaron Boone is not good at developing young players. Dominguez is 22 years old. He seems to have a great deal of confidence and is diligent and enthusiastic.  Making a defensive replacement for him on Opening Day sets a precedent and plants a seed. It plants a seed in the minds of fans, the media, and teammates that Dominguez’s defense is still an issue. Worse, it could plant that same seed in Dominguez’s head. Is this going to happen in every game? Dominguez is a kid, so he's not going to get tired in the 8th inning. He is not Giancarlo Stanton, who gets injured thinking about running. In my opinion, it was not a good move, and it bears watching to see if this will become a pattern.

Next Up – 

After the traditional day off following Opening Day, the Yankees will resume their series against, the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday at 1:05 PM at Yankee Stadium. Our old friend, Nestor Cortes, will pitch for the Brewers. The Yankees will send Max Fried to the mound, in his Yankees’ debut.