New York (AFP) - New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge blasted the first home run of the 2023 Major League Baseball season, which began Thursday with new rules and familiar feats.
The 30-year-old American outfielder, in his first time at bat since being named captain of the historic MLB club, smashed the second pitch from San Francisco right-hander Logan Webb over the center-field wall at Yankee Stadium for a solo homer.
Fans chanted "M-V-P" as Judge, last year's American League Most Valuable Player, walked to home plate and picked up right where he left off in 2022.
Judge belted 62 homers last year to break the the AL single-season homer record of 61 set by Yankees legend Roger Maris in 1961.
Judge was courted by several teams as a free agent in the off-season, including San Francisco, but signed an MLB record free agent deal for nine years at $360 million last December to stay with New York.
"It would have been nice to be home in California and be a little closer to family, but this city has kind of become my family now," Judge said.
All 30 MLB clubs were in action on Thursday's opening day, which marked the debut of new rules aimed at hastening the pace of play.
A new pitch clock will limit the amount of times pitchers have to engage with batters while defenders will be limited in how far they will be able to shift out of typical positions to try and better field batters based on past hitting charts.
The size of bases was also increased, creating a bigger target for base stealers who will face less targeting for pickoff throws from pitchers under tighter restrictions.
One pitcher who will not have to worry about the new rules for a while longer is Justin Verlander of the New York Mets.
Verlander, last year's AL Cy Young Award winner as top pitcher after helping the Houston Astros to a World Series crown, signed a two-year deal worth $86.6 million with the Mets.
But the 40-year-old right-hander was put on the MLB injured list Thursday with a strained muscle near his pitching shoulder that was discovered on Wednesday.
Verlander will miss his scheduled Saturday start at Miami and be re-evaluated next week, the Mets said.
Verlander, who missed the 2021 campaign after "Tommy John" tendon replacement surgery, went 18-4 with a 1.75 earned-run average last year to capture his third Cy Young Award.
