Yankees’ Judge Continues his Record Home Run Hitting Ways from Last Season
The Major League Baseball season debuted with exciting matchups on FOX, featuring the New York Yankees facing off against the San Francisco Giants, and the Texas Rangers taking on the Philadelphia Phillies. The highly anticipated season-opening games did not fail to deliver.
Yankees’ Aaron Judge continued his record-setting home run hitting ways from last season, hitting a homer in his first at-bat against the Giants. The pitch was clocked at 93mph and flew 422 feet over Yankee Stadium center-field wall. The home run set the tone for the game and was a clear indication of what was to come for the Yankees.
Rangers Beat Phillies with a Ninerun Fourth Inning Despite Jacob deGrom’s Poor Outing
The Texas Rangers beat the Philadelphia Phillies with an impressive ninerun fourth inning, despite Jacob deGrom’s poor pitching outing. Robbie Grossman made it a 20-game for the Rangers in the bottom of the first inning with his RBI single as they picked up where they left off on Opening Day. Despite having a shaky start, Texas proved that they were able to bounce back and dominate their opponents in style.
Other Exciting Plays Around the League
Other exciting plays around the league included Giancarlo Stanton hitting his first homer of the season and Joc Pederson hitting a solo shot for the Giants. With every team slated to play on Saturday after most of the league had Friday off following Opening Day on Thursday, fans can expect more thrilling moments as teams battle it out for dominance on the field.
Gleyber Torres’ Opposite Field Hitting Approach
Gleyber Torres is known for his opposite-field hitting approach, which is crucial to his performance as a second baseman for the New York Yankees. Yankee Stadium is considered ideal for lefty power hitters, but it is more beneficial for softer-hitting lefties. For right-handed hitters, it’s best to have an inside-out swing that hits the ball to the opposite field. Torres’ line-to-line power is rare and his opposite-field approach is his most valuable skill.
Torres’ swing path is catered towards hitting fastballs in the air to the opposite field, and he sits on his back hip and rotates out of it for a steep plan that is on an upswing deeper in the hitting zone. The 3D swing path highlights show Torres’ swing path creating an angle to hit the ball to the opposite field.
However, if Torres isn’t consistently locked in on an opposite-field approach, he can struggle with popups and ground balls due to his bat path and not staying corked in his back hip. Torres’ performance is directly related to his ability to hit the ball to the opposite field. If Torres can maintain his opposite-field stroke with a focused approach, he has the potential to be one of the best second basemen in the league and may even assert himself into extension territory with the team.
Aaron Judge Hits a Home Run in the Opening Game of the Season for the Yankees
Aaron Judge’s home run in the opening game of the season against San Francisco Giants’ Logan Webb was a historic moment for him and for the team. The pitch was 93mph, and it flew 422 feet over Yankee Stadium center-field wall, securing a win for Yankees at 5-0. Judge was named the Yankees’ captain, making him only the 16th player in franchise history to receive this honor. The crowd serenaded him with “MVP” chants after hitting one of his trademark home runs.
The home run comes as no surprise as Judge’s record-breaking home run hitting abilities are already well known. During the offseason, the Giants attempted to lure him away by offering a contract after Judge had toured their facilities. However, Judge eventually signed a nine-year, $360 million deal to remain with the Yankees.
All in all, the first games of the season saw some exciting matchups and thrilling moments that set the tone for what promises to be another unforgettable Major League Baseball season.
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