BASEBALL

Watch: Aaron Judge homers off San Francisco Giants in first at-bat of 2023 season

Mar 30, 2023, 11:32 AM

Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees connects for a solo home run during the first inning agains...

BRONX, NEW YORK - MARCH 30: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees connects for a solo home run during the first inning against the San Francisco Giants on Opening Day at Yankee Stadium on March 30, 2023 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

(Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

Over the offseason, Aaron Judge was courted heavily by his childhood team, the San Francisco Giants.

Ultimately, Judge returned to New York where, last year, he won the American League MVP last season.

Well, the two sides didn’t have to wait long before they met again as the Giants faced off against the Yankees on MLB’s opening day. And Judge made sure the meeting was memorable.

The Yankees captain hit a solo home run off the Giants’ Logan Webb in the second inning, sending the ball 422 feet into center field.

Judge, who has played for the New York since the 2016 season, set a new American League record with 62 home runs in 2022. The 30-year-old hit .311 and drove in 131 runs while also leading all of Major League Baseball in runs (133), on-base percentage (.425), slugging percentage (.686), OPS (1.111), and total bases (391).

The four-time All-Star and Rookie of the Year award winner grew up just 47 miles away from Sacramento in Linden, where he was a three-sport standout at Linden High School in baseball, basketball, and football. After being heavily recruited to college football as a tight end, Aaron Judge chose the route of baseball and attended California State University, Fresno, from 2010 through 2013.

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Watch: Aaron Judge homers off San Francisco Giants in first at-bat of 2023 season