Yankees manager makes history with 2025 Opening Day leadoff choice, Aaron Judge hitting second, Cody Bellinger third

The New York Yankees are one of the most popular and arguably the most historic teams in Major League Baseball. The iconic franchise has been home to some of the biggest names in baseball history, including Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, and Derek Jeter. Given the fact that the team has existed for over 100 years, there really no surprise when it comes to certain achievements and groundbreaking moments.

That is until now. New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone provided fans and experts with some insight on the team's lineup heading into their Opening Day matchup against the Milwaukee Brewers. Despite having more traditional lead-off options such as Anthony Volpe and Jazz Chisholm Jr., Boone announced that it would be catcher Austin Wells taking to the top of the order for Opening Day.

While there is excitement about what Austin Wells could do in his true sophmore seasone, the big news comes with the fact that he is a catcher leading off for New York. In the franchise's lengthy existence, there has never been a catcher serving as their lead-off hitter.

If the lineup plays out as expected, it will be Austin Wells serving as the lead-off batter, followed by Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger. The additions of Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt (who will likely bat clean-up) should help provide plenty of protection behind Aaron Judge, making pitchers have to throw to him given the threat in the lineup.

Austin Wells was impressive last season and has a chance to hold on to the lead-off spot if he can produce right out of the gate. Through 115 games last season, Wells hit 13 home runs, 55 RBI, and a .718 OPS. While he will be looking to improve upon his .229 batting average in 2025, the Yankees catcher should have no problem proving his value to the club.

The New York Yankees will turn to veteran Carlos Carrasco amid growing IL

Not only did the team announce that Austin Wells will be the team's lead-off batter, but they also confirmed that veteran Carlos Carrasco earned a spot on the Opening Day roster. The 38-year-old signed a minor league deal with the Yankees in the offseason before a combination of pithcing injuries and a solid Spring Training helped him earn a role.

Through 16.0 innings this spring, Carrasco has posted an excellent 1-0 record with a 1.69 ERA and 15 strikeouts. It may be difficult for him to keep these numbers rolling into the regular season, he is certainly worth a shot considering the injuries to Gerrit Cole, Luis Gil, and Clarke Schmidt.