Judge's First-Inning Power Surge

0:00On April 19th, Aaron Judge turned a long-range delay into pure gold on Sunday at Yankee Stadium against the Royals. The two-hour 45-minute wait didn't phase him. He stepped up and crushed a two-run homer on the very first pitch from Cole Reagan's. That ball sailed deep into Monument Park in centerfield, marking his ninth homer of the season. Judge now sits second in the majors for home runs, trailing only Jordan Alvarez with 10 for the Astros. This blast was his fifth first inning dinger, this year alone, putting him in elite company early in the season. Fans lit up social media, buzzing about how Judge thrives in big moments like this. His knack for first inning power has become a Yankee's legend. Ninety such homers rank him third in franchise history, behind Bay Roof's 100. 26 and Mickey Mantle's 1-8. Digging deeper since the start of last year, 45 of Judge's 120 home runs have come in the first inning. That's nearly 40 percent, showing his unmatched timing and strength right out the gate.

1:04With Judge heating up like this, the Yankees live prime for a strong run. Keep watching how he owns those opening frames. This has been MLB News Today, powered by AI.