Aaron Judge homered in his first at-bat of the 2026 home opener, powering the New York Yankees to an 8-2 victory over the Miami Marlins on Friday. The Yankees captain set a sharp-dressed tone by texting teammates to wear suits. Ben Rice drove in three runs with a homer and a double.
NEW YORK -- Aaron Judge launched a first-inning home run off Eury Pérez's slider into the left-field seats, his third of the season, after the Marlins took an early 1-0 lead on Xavier Edwards' solo shot. Judge also stole a base and was hit by a 98.8 mph fastball on the forearm, grimacing but staying in the game. Jazz Chisholm Jr. and José Caballero each swiped two bags for New York, which improved to 6-1, matching one of the best starts in franchise history behind dominant pitching and timely hitting, officials said. Yankees pitchers have allowed just eight runs in their first seven games, the fewest in MLB alongside the 1993 Braves and 2002 Giants. Will Warren earned his first win, pitching 5 2/3 innings and allowing two solo homers while striking out six without a walk. “Solo homers aren’t going to beat us,” Warren said. “If we attack early, the odds are in our favor.” Manager Aaron Boone praised the all-around play: “It’s early, but you love the fact that you get off to this kind of start.” Ben Rice overcame early strikeouts with a 110.9 mph seventh-inning homer and an eighth-inning two-run double off the scoreboard, boosting his average to .409 over six games. “Benny can really hit,” Boone said. Judge endorsed Rice's potential: “He always hits the ball hard.” In the ninth, Cody Bellinger made a stunning no-look catch on Edwards' liner to left, snagging it after it tipped off his glove. “I just got lucky,” Bellinger said. Judge savored the atmosphere: “There’s no better spot” than Yankee Stadium.
