Reigning MVP Judge sets dubious mark with Opening Day K's
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SAN FRANCISCO – Every visit to the Bay Area represents a homecoming for Aaron Judge, who grew up in Linden, Calif., some 90 miles northwest of Oracle Park. He still fondly recalls his time cheering for the Giants, especially those occasional trips to see his favorite players in action.
It’s a safe bet that, at some point, Judge envisioned playing on an Opening Day here. It’s also pretty certain that this wasn’t what he had in mind.
Judge became the first reigning Most Valuable Player to strike out four times in an Opening Day game, including three punchouts against San Francisco starter Logan Webb.
The Yankees’ captain struck out swinging in the first inning, was rung up on a called third strike in the second, then whiffed on a foul tip in the fourth. Reliever Keaton Winn caught Judge looking in the sixth.
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The previous mark for most strikeouts by a reigning MVP in a team’s first game of the season was three, according to MLB.com’s Sarah Langs: Willie Stargell (1980), Sammy Sosa (1999), Mike Trout (2015), Josh Donaldson (2016) and Kris Bryant (2017).