Yankees’ Opening Day guide: Aaron Judge’s dog helped change everything for today
· Yahoo Sports
SAN FRANCISCO — If Yankees captain Aaron Judge owned any other breed of dog, Opening Day at Oracle Park on Wednesday might have looked very different.
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Maybe Judge would be playing right field and wearing No. 99 for the Giants instead of trying to beat the team that he rooted for growing up in tiny Linden, California.
Before the Yankees matched the Giants’ nine-year, $360 million offer and Judge stayed put in the 2022 offseason, Anthony Rizzo — who had already re-signed with New York — would text photos of his miniature dachshund playing with one of Judge’s.
“He went for my heart,” Judge said in January 2023 during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. “My little Penny and his dog, Kevin, are the best of friends. Every day I was getting photos.”
Judge and Rizzo, BFFs when they were Yankees teammates from 2021-24, might get a chance to catch up this week before or after Wednesday’s game … or maybe during Thursday’s off day.
Two years into retirement, Rizzo is dabbling with broadcasting and his first assignment is the Yankees’ opener as pre-game and post-game host for Netflix, which is streaming the game.
Yes, Netflix is the only avenue to watch the Yankees’ opener if you’re not in the ballpark.
Rizzo will be at Oracle working with two of Judge’s childhood heroes, fellow broadcasting rookies Barry Bonds and Albert Pujols, and host Elle Duncan.
One of Judge’s former Yankees mentors, Hall of Fame pitcher CC Sabathia, will serve as a co-analyst alongside Hunter Pence, with Matt Vasgersian on play-by-play.
First pitch is scheduled for 5:05 p.m., local, 8:05 ET.
The pitching matchup is a good one, Yankees All-Star left-hander Max Fried vs. Giants All-Star righty Logan Webb.
8 OPENING DAY STORYLINES
1. The Yankees will try to make it five consecutive season-opening wins since 2021, when they lost game 1 to the Blue Jays in 10 innings at Yankee Stadium.
2. The Yankees are playing the Giants in their opener for the second time ever ... and second time in four seasons. In 2023, the Yankees won 5-0 at home with Judge belting a first-inning homer off Webb in his first game since he passed on the Giants’ offer to remain in pinstripes.
3. Returning to the Bay Area is always a big deal for Judge. He played 18 games in Oakland when the Athletics were based there, but this will be just his second series in San Francisco. Judge put on a show in the first, going 6-for-10 with three homers and six RBIs in a Yankees three-game sweep in 2024. In Judge’s first eight seasons, the Yankees’ only visit to San Francisco was in April 2019, a week after he went on the IL with an oblique strain.
4. Coming off three MVP seasons in four and two straight, Judge warmed up for a threepeat run by batting .316 with three homers in eight Grapefruit League games and .222 with two homers for Team USA in seven World Baseball Classic games. The only players who have won three MVPs in a row are Bonds (four straight NL MVPs 2001-04) and Shohei Ohtani (2023 AL, 2024-25 NL).
5. Fried has very good career numbers pitching in San Francisco, a 3-1 record with a 2.59 ERA in four starts. His only loss was his last start at Oracle, a three-run, 5.1-inning outing in 2024 when he was still with the Braves.
6. First baseman Ben Rice is the only Yankee who will be starting on Opening Day for the first time. He didn’t have a great spring, batting .227 with one homer in 49 plate appearances, but the Yankees think the left-handed hitter can be more impactful than he was in his breakout 2025, when he hit .255 with 26 homers.
7. This series will be a return to San Francisco for reliever Camilo Doval, who was the Giants’ closer last season until his July 31 trade to the Yankees. The Giants roster includes two former Yankees, center fielder Harrison Bader and reliever J.T. Brubaker.
8. This will be the first game for first-year MLB/Giants manager Tony Vitello, who succeeded fired 2025 skipper Bob Melvin after eight seasons as a college head coach at Tennessee.
ROSTER CHANGES
Twelve of 26 Yankees players differ from how they began last season.
Seven are pitchers:
Starters Cam Schlittler (Double-A Somerset in 2025) and Ryan Weathers (Marlins); and relievers David Bednar (Pirates), Jake Bird (Rockies), Paul Blackburn (Mets IL); Camilo Doval (Giants) and Cade Winquest (High A Peoria).
Five are position players:
Shortstop Jose Caballero (Rays), third baseman Ryan McMahon (Rockies), designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (IL), outfielder Randal Grichuk and infielder/outfielder Amed Rosario.
Four of the 12 off this year’s season-opening roster are still in the organization:
Starting pitcher Carlos Rodon (IL), shortstop Anthony Volpe (IL), infielder Oswaldo Cabrera (Triple) and left fielder Jasson Dominguez (Triple-A.
The other eight have moved on:
Starting pitchers Carlos Carrasco (Braves Triple-A in 2026) and Marcus Stroman (free agent); relievers Yoendrys Gomez (Rays), Mark Leiter Jr. (Athletics), Luke Weaver (Mets) and Devin Williams (Mets); infielder Oswald Peraza (Angels) and infielder/outfielder Pablo Reyes (Padres Triple-A).
YANKEES PROJECTED LINEUP
1. Trent Grisham, CF
2. Aaron Judge, RF
3. Cody Bellinger, LF
4. Ben Rice, 1B
5. Giancarlo Stanton, DH
6. Jazz Chisholm, 2B
7. Ryan McMahon, 3B
8. Jose Caballero, SS
9. Austin Wells, C
Max Fried, LHP
GIANTS PROJECTED LINEUP
1. Luis Arraez, 2B
2. Matt Chapman, 3B
3. Rafael Devers, 1B
4. Willy Adames, SS
5. Heliot Ramos, LF
6. Jung Hoo Lee, RF
7. Patrick Bailey, C
8. Jerar Encarnacion, DH
9. Harrison Bader, CF
Logan Webb, RHP
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