SAN FRANCISCO – Aaron Judge’s Opening Day Struggles

Aaron Judge’s season began on a rough note at Oracle Park, with the home crowd expressing their discontent during his pregame introductions, and that sentiment continued before his first at-bat. Unfortunately for him, his performance continued to decline as the Yankees secured a 7-0 victory over the Giants.

Judge, who grew up a Giants fan in Linden, California, struck out in the first, second, fourth, and sixth innings. Interestingly, in his MVP-winning season last year, he never experienced such a difficult game – a stark contrast to the four strikeouts he managed in five games during this current season, despite still earning MVP honors in 2024.

This unfortunate outing will likely fade from memory quickly, perhaps as soon as the next game against left-hander Robbie Ray. Yet, for one evening, Judge appeared almost hopeless at the plate.

This performance followed his participation with Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, where he logged six hits in 27 at-bats. On a more positive note, the Yankees were pleased with his recovery from a flexor strain in his right elbow, an issue that sidelined him last season and hampered his pitching ability. Judge demonstrated his arm strength during the WBC and seemed to have made a full recovery.

Historically, Judge has had sluggish starts, though nothing quite as rough as 2025. In his MVP season two years back, he recorded an OPS of .754 in April but rebounded impressively in May and June.

Before Wednesday’s game, Judge had performed well against Giants ace Logan Webb, hitting 3-for-7 with two home runs and three strikeouts. However, his struggles continued on Wednesday; he struck out in his first at-bat and faced similar issues in subsequent appearances.

He managed to put the ball in play during the ninth inning, grounding out to third base. This left him as the only hitless Yankee in the opening game win.

Looking ahead, Judge will enter Friday’s game against Ray with a 3-for-8 record, all three hits being home runs, six walks, and just one strikeout. After all, he is Aaron Judge, a player known for delivering three of the most remarkable offensive seasons in recent history—except for 2023, when an injury hampered his performance after colliding with the outfield fence at Dodger Stadium.