Watch: Aaron Judge's scorching start to 2025 continues

New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) hits a solo home run in the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium. Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Watch: Aaron Judge hits another first-inning home run as scorching start to 2025 continues

By Eric Smithling | Last updated May 3, 2025 1:56 PM ET

Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge remained hot on Saturday, dinging another first-inning home run to give New York an early 1-0 lead over the Rays.

The Captain continues to crush

Aaron Judge gets the @Yankees started with his 11th home run of the season! pic.twitter.com/huRsUU2Ctr
— MLB (@MLB) May 3, 2025

Judge blasted the first pitch he saw from Rays starting pitcher Zack Littell, an 88 mph slider, 377 feet to right centerfield.

Per the YES broadcast, it was Judge's sixth first-inning home run this season, the most in the majors.

He has been simply unbelievable through the first full month of the Yankees' season, entering Saturday with a .430/.521/.777 slash line, 10 home runs and an MLB-high 32 runs batted in.

Judge lifted his 2025 batting average to .434 with his first inning home run, keeping him in second place (behind former outfielder Paul O'Neill) for the highest batting average in the first 33 games of a season in Yankees franchise history. (h/t YES)

Judge has a 29-game on-base streak dating back to April 2 and had recorded a hit in each of his last 12 games entering Saturday, going 24-for-48 in 54 plate appearances.

Already a two-time AL MVP, Judge is well on his way to winning a third based on his remarkable start to 2025.

Eric Smithling

Eric Smithling is a writer based in New Orleans, LA, whose byline also appears on Athlon Sports. He has been with Yardbarker since September 2022, primarily covering the NFL and college football, but also the NBA, WNBA, men’s and women’s college basketball, NHL, tennis and golf. He holds a film studies degree from the University of New Orleans

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