The Bronx Bombers bring out the Brooms against Milwaukee to start 2025

Three games in and the Yankees have slugged their way to three wins. Over the first series against the Milwaukee Brewers the Bombers have scored 36 runs which is the most since 1901. They have also hit 15 home runs along the way.

Usually at this time of year the pitchers are ahead of the hitters. Not in the Bronx. Aaron Judge remains superhuman, hitting already his fourth home run of the season, and the Brewers waived the white flag and walked the Yankee captain the next three times he stepped into the batter’s box. Jazz Chisholm and his new “torpedo” bat clobbered two more home runs. Paul Goldschmidt led off for the second straight game and had four more hits.

While the offense in the Boogie Down cannot be stopped so far, the starters toeing the slab have had a little bit of an issue to start the year. Carlos Rodon had a solid outing on Opening Day but only went five and a third. Both Max Fried and Marcus Stroman didn’t get out the 5th inning in their first starts. The bullpen has picked up the slack and have only allowed 10 hits and four runs over the course of 12.2 innings. But this is a pattern that cannot afford to become a trend given the Yankees current injuries. The bullpen won’t have any bullets left by July if the top three arms in the rotation don’t give some length when they take the mound.

Now we have to talk about the defensive changes. Jasson Dominguez is the left fielder against right-handed pitching, until the late innings. Twice already Yankee Manager Aaron Boone has replaced Dominguez in the 7th inning or later for defensive purposes. In both cases Trent Grisham has replaced Dominguez in the order, played center, and Cody Bellinger shifted from center to left. Grisham is also the starting centerfielder against left-handed pitching with Bellinger in left, and Dominguez moving into the Designated Hitter role. This may not seem newsworthy to some, but with the way the Yankees have used their bench in the past, it’s intriguing even within the first series to see how Aaron Boone is utilizing his reserves. It will be interesting to see how the third base competition will balance itself out against lefties. Pablo Reyes started against Nestor Cortes, recorded a few errors in the field, didn’t impress at the plate, while Oswald Peraza (albeit against a right-handed reliever) pinch hit for Reyes and smashed a two-run home run into the left field seats. Defense was on the mind of Yankee General Manager this offseason bringing in Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt, both former MVP, but they also have gold gloves on their mantles. Also letting Gleyber Torres walk in free agency shifts the focus in the Bronx from offensively only to more a well-rounded squad thanks in part to how the Dodgers loudly exposed the Bombers in last seasons’ fall classic.

Yes, the Yankees did commit five errors in the second game of the season, but the message is clear, play better defense and with the power spread through the order, a now depleted pitching staff should have enough run support to get the job done.

For the opening series of the 2025 season, the lessons from a painful end to 2024, are being fixed to make sure this time around there’s a parade down the cannon of heroes.