New York Yankees: Takeaways from Spring Training Day One

The New York Yankees got off to a good start with a victory in their first Spring Training game. Check out some takeaways from the game.

Future New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge hit a monster home run off the scoreboard in the first Spring Training game. As Judge’s mammoth shot rang off the scoreboard at George M. Steinbrenner Field, it brought in the new era of pinstripe baseball.

The Yankees started off spring training with a dominant 9-4 over the Philadelphia Phillies that left many wondering if that offensive production can be expected the rest of the year.

Shortstop Didi Gregorius got the Bombers off to a hot start with a homerun in his first at-bat of the spring season, but the real excitement came in the fifth inning when the youth began to shine.

Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge rocked a four-seam fastball into next week, and with it, the floodgates opened up. The team’s newly acquired designated hitter Matt Holiday went 2-for-2, and the Yankees number one prospect Clint Frazier notched a two-run triple in the bottom of the eighth inning.

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The Yankees got exactly what they wanted out of the bats in the first game of Spring Training, and it was coming from the likes of recent acquisitions all across the board. There has been excitement around the Yankees youth all offseason, but the big question mark has been the pitching.

Friday, the Yankees removed the question mark from their pitching after a steady outing. Through the first six innings, the Yankees pitching staff was perfect, and it left people wondering if the Yankees time is now.

A strong opening outing from Bryan Mitchell followed by the likes of Tyler Clippard, Tommy Layne, and Luis Cessa held the Phillies without a baserunner until the seventh inning.

“I think for the first outing, you just want to go out there and get your feet wet, get back into game speed,” Mitchell told Yankees.com. “I was pretty happy with it. Obviously, the first game, I was pretty nervous and excited. I tried to stay within myself.”

And that’s exactly what Mitchell did. He was able to pitch two strong innings that showed when he is healthy, he can be an effective piece in the Yankees five-man rotation.

The first day of spring training is exciting for many different reasons, but when a team shows it is ready to compete, it makes it even better. No one can make any type of call after the first game of the spring season, but it is easy to see that the growth could be happening quicker than some might have believed.

At the end of the day, the spring is meant to help develop guys into the next stars of the league, but when they start off this hot, it makes this season look even more promising. The biggest takeaway from this early performance is that if the Yankees can keep playing loose, they will put up staggering numbers heading into the start of the season.

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This team is going to produce runs with its hitting, speed, and athleticism. The biggest question is the pitching staff, and if it can continue what it did on the first day, then the Bronx should start preparing for some big time baseball this season.

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