Judge wins first ABS challenge, then takes advantage with towering first HR

SAN FRANCISCO – Aaron Judge may be among the most prominent beneficiaries of the new Automatic Ball-Strike (ABS) system, given the frequency with which the Yankees’ captain has been rung up on called strikes over the past several years.

Judge tapped his helmet for the first time in a Major League game on Friday, overturning a call to extend a sixth-inning at-bat against Robbie Ray. He made the most of it, blasting a two-run homer in a 3-0 victory over the Giants at Oracle Park.

“It’s weird. It’s a new part of the game,” Judge said. “You’ve just got to get used to it. I’m a hitter. I’ve got to focus on hitting. I’m not going to try to challenge every single one I think is close, but if there’s a big spot where I think I’ve got a chance to flip the count, I’m going to do it.”

Giancarlo Stanton also homered for the Yankees, who tossed a one-hit shutout behind Cam Schlittler and four relievers. It marked the first time in franchise history they’ve opened a season with back-to-back shutouts.

“A handful of guys have really gotten their feet wet into the season, getting those kinds of first things out of the way,” manager Aaron Boone said. “The guys have really come out and played sharp so far.”

Umpires have long faced challenges calling Judge’s zone, in part because of his 6-foot-7 frame. From 2017 through 2025, no hitter had more called strikes against him on pitches out of the zone (Judge and Mookie Betts were tied for the most, with 638).

The difference between Judge and other hitters was biggest on pitches below the zone -- Judge had far more low strikes called against him (368) than any other hitter during that time frame (Josh Bell was next with 233).

“It’s funny; he’s so tall, and somehow he gets rung up on that call,” Cody Bellinger said. “I see it hitting behind him all the time. It’s going to be good for him. He knows the zone really well, and obviously it worked out that time. I think it’s going to benefit him a lot.”

Friday’s at-bat provided a clear example of how those outcomes might change. Judge’s challenge came after Ray’s 1-0 slider was called a strike. ABS showed the pitch just missed the bottom of the zone, giving Judge a 2-0 count.

“It takes one pitch, just like we saw in that at-bat,” Judge said.

The homer came on the seventh pitch, a full-count 93 mph four-seamer that Judge slugged a Statcast-projected 405 feet, coming off the bat at 109.1 mph.

“I challenged the best hitter in baseball, and he just happened to get me,” said Ray, who has surrendered four homers to Judge in 11 career at-bats. “I just went to the well one too many times.”

It was the first home run – and hit – of the year for Judge, who belted 53 homers last year on his way to claiming a third AL Most Valuable Player Award in the past four seasons.

Judge went hitless with four strikeouts in the Yankees’ Opening Night victory.

“He didn’t play the way he wanted to [on Wednesday], but he looked great today,” Schlittler said. “I had no doubt that he was going to do something like that today.”

Later in the frame, Stanton greeted José Buttó with a long homer into the left-field bleachers, marking the 60th time Judge and Stanton have homered in the same game (including postseason). The Yankees are 53-7 in the 60 contests.

The all-time record for most times homering in the same game by teammate duos is 76, held by Eddie Mathews and Henry Aaron, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig are second, with 75.

“He’s executing really well,” Boone said of Stanton. “He’s in a good place.”

The victory came on familiar ground for Judge, who grew up as a Giants fan about 95 miles away in Linden, Calif., treasuring his occasional visits to China Basin. Judge now has four homers and eight RBIs in five career games at Oracle Park.

“It’s cool. We got a chance to [play here] a couple of years ago,” Judge said. “I was just happy to get some runs on the board, especially with how Cam was rolling. Getting a chance to get the two runs there, and then Big G followed it up with another one, it kind of solidified the win for us.”