The vibes around the New York Yankees were ... not great entering the 2025 season. Losing Juan Soto to the rival New York Mets was bad enough, and it was only made worse by Brian Cashman's (or Hal Steinbrenner's, depending on your perspective) refusal to find a third baseman as well as injuries to starting pitchers Gerrit Cole and Luis Gil. Things got bad enough that fans and observers were questioning whether the team would even make the playoffs at all, a shocking prediction for a $300 million payroll coming off an AL pennant.
But hope springs eternal on Opening Day. Every team's record starts at 0-0, and no matter what's happened over the winter and in camp, all it takes is one swing to turn everything around.
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Yankees catcher Austin Wells makes history with leadoff Opening Day homer
That's exactly what the Yankees got courtesy of catcher Austin Wells, who celebrated his surprising ascension to the leadoff spot in New York by immediately jumping on a Freddy Peralta fastball for the first homer of Opening Day.
Well(s) that was quick 💥
— MLB (@MLB) March 27, 2025
The first #OpeningDay home run comes off the bat of Austin Wells 💪 pic.twitter.com/0HZ3tGk6cj
This wasn't just an ideal way for Wells to start his season. It also made some baseball history, the first catcher ever to hit a leadoff home run on Opening Day. It's the first of what the team hopes will be many for the 25-year-old former first-round pick, who tore the cover off the ball in spring training to the tune of an 1.183 OPS.
Wells is one of just several homegrown hitters the Yankees will be relying on in the absence of Soto and slugger Giancarlo Stanton, who doesn't appear close to returning as he battles discomfort in both of his elbows. Anthony Volpe, Jasson Dominguez and Ben Rice all flashed during spring, and all will be counted on to play a significant role in New York's lineup this season. If Thursday is any indication, the kids might actually be alright.