It’s the first Saturday of the baseball season, the weather is beautiful (at least in the New York and New Jersey area), the Yankees are undefeated and in first place.
It’s a good day.
On Opening Day I wrote how the Yankees were the beneficiaries of good fortune last season and that would likely change in 2025 – well, it didn’t on Thursday afternoon as the Yankees got a very good game from Carlos Rodon on the mound, and some help from the Gods of baseball randomness on the offensive side.
A home run from Austin Wells – on a ball that wouldn’t have cleared the length of a football gridiron – started them off, then Anthony Volpe followed with a batted ball, that statistically speaking was more likely to be an out than anything else, that went over the wall for a home run. Aaron Judge had the most impactful hit of the game by win probability with a double that was hit 103 mph – but likely would not have been a hit had it not ricocheted off the third base bag.
There are two things to note here:
One – things going your way is not a bad thing, or a criticism in any way. Things happen in baseball beyond anyone’s control more often than most like to admit, sometimes they go your way – take the “W” when they do and enjoy it!
Secondly, the two run seventh inning rally was started by a walk from Ben Rice. Do not sleep on Ben Rice – he draws walks, and he has pop.
Today the Yankees take on the Brewers again at 1:05 pm in the Bronx. Old friend Nestor Cortes will be on the mound for the brew crew, facing his old team for the first time since being traded for Devin Williams. Most of us are left with the memory of Nestor getting beat up down the stretch and in the postseason last season, but let’s not forget he was a damn good pitcher for the Yankees.
From 2021 – 2024, Nestor threw 489 innings for the Yanks and posted a very impressive 3.68 FIP and 124 ERA+ over the four seasons, while his 10.2 bWAR over that stretch was second only to Gerrit Cole on the team. Join me in rooting for Nestor from afar this season…
…but not today.
Did I miss something? Let me know in the comments or yell at me on BlueSky.
What I’m reading: “Satchel: The Life and Times of an American Legend.”
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