Yankees First Grapefruit League Win Was a Total Team Effort

After beating the Phillies 9-4 in their first Spring Training game of the season, there is much to get excited about for Yankees fans.

Most Spring Training games are a bust. You pay all that money to watch the stars take two at-bats and play maybe four innings in the field. As for the pitchers, if they throw more than an inning and a third you’re lucky. But Friday in Tampa, things were different. The Yankees jumped out to an early lead which led to the one thing that most people in attendance wanted to see: the kids play.

Let’s start with the pitching. Aside from Giovanny Gallegos who gave up two home runs in the ninth inning that made the game appear closer than it really was, the shooters were fantastic.

For starters Bryan Mitchell and Luis Cessa — each vying for one of the final two spots in the starting rotation, they equally dominated, combining to strike out three batters in four innings while not allowing a single hit. Relievers Tommy Layne and Tyler Clippard were also really good — blanking the opposition for one inning a piece.

As for the sticks, the thing I liked most about yesterday’s action was that the Yankees offense came out firing from the first inning and kept it going through the final frame. From Didi Gregorius‘ line drive home run in the first inning to Aaron’s Judge’s moon shot in the fifth, both looked prime for opening day. Yes, Judge struck out badly on a 58-foot breaking ball in his first at-bat. But like I said on Twitter, I’ll take 200 strikeouts from him this season if he slugs 40 home runs.

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Towards the latter stages of the game was when things got really exciting. Kyle Higashioka, who in my estimation, would make for a much more lethal backup catching option, rather than Austin Romine, slugged a homer in the seventh inning. Miguel Andujar didn’t let me down either, lacing a double in his first at-bat, only to follow it up with a triple off the left-center field wall. Andujar is going to put a ton of pressure on Chase Headley to keep hold of the third base job all season.

Everyone’s new favorite player Clint Frazier took an inside pitch, keeping his hands back long enough to show off that “legendary bat speed,” shooting a ball past the diving right fielder. Frazier did, however, spend a little too much time admiring his drive, which led to him stumbling around second base and failure to pick up third base coach Joe Espada’s sign. But it’s Frazier’s first big moment with the Yankees, so we’ll let him have it. Besides, manager Joe Girardi could be seen talking to the young man about his blunder after he scored on a Rob Refsnyder bloop single.

All in all, it was a great start to what we hope will be an even better season. Now I’m not going to get ahead of myself and start talking World Series, but I like what I saw. Matt Holliday looks healthy — ripping a single and a double — Dustin Fowler added to the triples party — Gleyber Torres had a base hit — and Ruben Tejada even remembered where the batter’s box was for a base knock.

Next: Ellsbury Isn't Getting Any Better

It was a total team effort for the win — something we didn’t get a lot of in 2016. But it’s a new season with new faces and new expectations. Follow me on Sunday as I live Tweet from the Yankees vs. Blue Jays game in Tampa.