Yankees Judge and Austin Make History in MLB Debuts

With the Alex Rodriguez era at its end, the Yankees did not hesitate to replace his roster spot with two young prospects by the name of Tyler Austin and Aaron Judge.

The two Baby Bombers were slated to make the Yankees team sometime this season, but thanks to A-Rod’s sudden release and a day-to-day Brett Gardner injury, Austin and Judge debuted together with smashing success by making history.

The “smash brothers” both hit back to back home runs in their first major league at-bats in the second inning. Austin and Judge are the first teammates to hit home runs in their first at-bats in the same game in MLB history. The two also became the fourth and fifth players in Yankees history to debut with home runs in their first career at-bats.

Austin sent one off to right field that measured 331 feet. Judge displayed his strength by hitting a 446-foot bomb into Monument Park. Judge is only among three players to hit a ball over Monument Park in the new stadium, joining Russell Branyan and Carlos Correa.

Both Austin and Judge went 2-4 in their debut, their other hits being singles. The Yankees then proceeded to win 8-6, behind Masahiro Tanaka, who pitched seven innings of four-run ball. The bullpen finished the game with Tyler Clippard, Anthony Swarzak and Tommy Layne combining for three innings of no-run ball.

Judge is ranked at 27^th and 42^nd on MLB Pipeline’s and Baseball America’s Top 100 Prospects list, respectively.

Austin was regarded as one of the Yankees’ top prospects in 2015 but his name was lost in the mix after he struggled in the minors. Austin’s struggles are a thing of the past, however, and he has already made a name for himself with a dazzling Yankees debut.

Austin hit .294 with 17 home runs in the minors before getting the call Saturday. Judge hit .270 with 19 homers before also being called up.

Next: Is Joe Girardi Acting on a Personal Vendetta Against A-Rod?

The Yankees will put another Baby Bomber in a key role on the field tomorrow. Luis Severino (1-7, 6.42 ERA) is set to start against Jake Odorizzi (6-5, 3.69 ERA).

Although Severino struggled early in the year, the Yankees ensured he spent time in the minors working on his weakest pitches. Severino will pitch in place of Nathan Eovaldi, who is currently plagued with an elbow injury.

The Yankees will look for the sweep tomorrow as they continue to chase the Wild Card.