Pitchers and catchers reported to Yankees spring training a little over a week ago, and now today, we check off another milestone on the way to Opening Day. It’s the Grapefruit League opener! Yes, it’s that special time of year when MLB players appear in games they don’t particularly care about, all with the explicit goal of not breaking something. But it beats “no baseball.”
The first game will be in Sarasota against the Orioles. Since it’s a spring road game, that means we’re not getting as many regulars, so that makes our question today a bit more tricky than one might think. So who’s hitting the first long ball of the spring?
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Here’s who we know is making the trip:
As such, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Austin Wells would be good guesses since they’re both power threats. And if Amed Rosario is facing a lefty, well, he did slug .491 against southpaws in 2025.
Maybe there’s a surprise in store though! We’ll update this post once we know the full lineup, but make your best guess! And hey, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that the Yankees go homerless today, too, so Aaron Judge and more are in play for tomorrow.
It’s more than just the spring opener today on the site! Andrés will begin our morning by musing on the Yankees’ ever-evolving international baseball operations overhaul, Jake will celebrate the 113th birthday of late-1940s/early-’50s standout Tommy Henrich (Old Reliable), and Michael will preview Trent Grisham’s 2026 season. Peter will have you covered on the exhibition game against the O’s.
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Today’s Matchup:
New York Yankees vs. Baltimore Orioles
Time: 1:05 p.m. EST
Video: Gotham Sports, MLB Network, MASN
Venue: Ed Smith Stadium, Sarasota, FL
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