Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the first inning against the New York Yankees at Dodger Stadium. Jason Parkhurst-Imagn Images

Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, Yankees' Aaron Judge Make History in Battle of MVPs

Originally posted on Fastball on SI | By Sam Connon | Last updated May 30, 2025 11:16 PM ET

It didn't take long for Friday night's World Series rematch to live up to the hype.

New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge opened up the scoring with a solo home run in the top of the first inning. It was the 19th of the season for the reigning AL MVP, who already boasted a 1.233 regular season OPS through five career games at Dodger Stadium entering Friday.

WELCOME TO YANKEES VS. DODGERS 2025 #FridayNightBaseball pic.twitter.com/L4QKlwL0AI
— MLB (@MLB) May 31, 2025

Later that very same inning, Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani answered with a solo shot of his own. That helped the reigning NL MVP cement his standing atop the league leaderboards, bringing him to 21 on the season.

According to MLB.com's Bryan Hoch, Judge and Ohtani became the first reigning MVPs ever to each hit a home run in the first inning of the same game.

SHOHEI OHTANI ANSWERS RIGHT BACK #FridayNightBaseball pic.twitter.com/PKH1PHWqDF
— MLB (@MLB) May 31, 2025

Judge's homer wound up starting a bit of a run, with Austin Wells, Trent Grisham and Paul Goldschmidt all going yard over the next three innings. Through the first third of the contest, the Yankees led the Dodgers 5-2, seeking vengeance for how the 2024 Fall Classic played out.

This article first appeared on Fastball on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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