Defending MVP Yankees Captain Judge Strikes Out 4 Times in Opening Game, Setting an Unfortunate Record

As a Bay Area local, Aaron Judge feels at home whenever he returns to play here. Raised in Linden, California, roughly 90 miles from Oracle Park, he fondly recalls supporting the San Francisco Giants and the occasional visits to see his favorite players in action.

One can imagine that Judge certainly envisioned himself participating in the opening game here. However, what unfolded today was undoubtedly far from what he had imagined.

Judge became the first defending MVP to strike out four times in an opening game, with three of those strikeouts delivered by Giants starter Logan Webb. The Yankees captain struck out swinging in the first inning, was caught by an outside pitch in the second, and had a foul tip caught for a strikeout in the fourth. In the sixth inning, he was struck out standing by reliever Keaton Winn.

According to MLB official reporter Sarah Langs, the previous record for strikeouts by a defending MVP in a team's season opener was three, jointly held by Willie Stargell (1980), Sammy Sosa (1999), Mike Trout (2015), Josh Donaldson (2016), and Kris Bryant (2017).