Aaron Judge bombed in 2026 debut, but a silver lining remains for Yankees in win over Giants

How other Yankees stepped up 

The Yankees erupted in the top of the second inning. Shortstop Jose Caballero singled to left field, sending designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton home. Third baseman Ryan McMahon subsequently singled to center field, sending Caballero and second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. home. Right fielder Trent Grisham capped off the offensive outburst with a triple to center field, sending McMahon and catcher Austin Wells home, giving the Yankees a 5-0 lead.

New York coasted after the five-run inning, securing a 7-0 win to start the season 1-0. General manager Brian Cashman might be feeling validated after the victory. 

The GM faced heavy criticism throughout the offseason for not being more aggressive. His only notable moves were retaining Grisham and left fielder Cody Bellinger. Cashman, however, insists he's fielding a World Series-caliber roster. 

"I've been openly willing to challenge anybody who says that we don't have a championship-caliber roster or team. It's our job to find ways to make it better along the way," he said in January, via ESPN's Jesse Rogers. 

Cashman shouldn't be saying "see, I told you so" yet. The Giants hired Tony Vitello, a former head coach for the Tennessee Volunteers, as manager this offseason in an unprecedented move. It's still early, but judging by Opening Day, that experiment may be doomed to failure. 

The Yankees, though, at least know they can win one game with Judge struggling. Now, whether they can win 161 is another question, but they probably won't have to answer it. He won his third American League MVP last season after hitting 53 home runs in 152 regular-season games. So, the outfielder should eventually find his groove.