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The New York Yankees have had no shortage of positional experimentation this pre-season. However, with opening day now upon us, manager Aaron Boone believes he has a suitable formula to start with on opening day.
He has released his team's roster for their March 30 opening day contest against the San Francisco Giants. After giving Boone his fair share of flak throughout the spring, fans seem to finally be satisfied with the squad's formation.
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"Opening Day at Yankee Stadium" - New York Yankees
Hitting in the leadoff spot will be DJ LeMathieu. The 34-year old LeMathieu will be entering his fifth season with the Yankees. He hit .261/.357/.377 with 12 home runs and 46 RBIs, winning him a Silver Slugger Award.
Aaron Judge, who set a single-season MLB record for home runs with 62 last year, will be hitting in the number two spot.
But perhaps the biggest news of the day is 21-year old Anthony Volpe. Volpe, the New York Yankees' first overall draft pick in 2019 had massive success in gaining fan support over the pre-season. Boone has the New Jersey native playing shortstop and batting eighth.
He is seen as a more preferable option than their 2022 shortstop, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who failed to impress fans after coming to the Yankees a year ago from the Minnesota Twins.
Fans were sure to make it clear that they are happy not to see the .261 hitter in the lineup, even after Boone said that he would find a way to slot the Hawaiian into the roster later in the season.
Another 2022 regular who is missing from the lineup is outfielder Aaron Hicks. His presumptive replacement, Harrison Bader, is out with an oblique strain, and Aaron Boone has instead opted for Oswaldo Cabrera, a 24-year old who hit 4 home runs and 14 RBIs in 19 games last year for the New York Yankees.
Five-time All-Star Gerrit Cole will get the ball on the opening day, marking the fourth consecutive season that the 34-year old has pitched on opening day for his team.
New York Yankees will look to emulate 2022 success this year
A glance at the Yankees' opening day roster against the San Francisco Giants confirms that this team has the skill to win. Whether or not they can surpass the challenge represented by the Houston Astros, their emergent rivals, remains to be seen.
