Aaron Boone has set his Opening Day lineup, and the Yankees are bringing serious firepower to San Francisco.
The Bombers will face the Giants and right-hander Logan Webb with what’s essentially their expected alignment against righties. It’s a lineup built for power, even with a couple key absences.
Anthony Volpe and Gerrit Cole aren’t ready for the opener due to injury. But that’s about where the bad news ends.
Here’s how Boone’s lining them up:
- Trent Grisham, CF
- Aaron Judge, RF
- Cody Bellinger, LF
- Ben Rice, 1B
- Giancarlo Stanton, DH
- Jazz Chisholm Jr., 2B
- Jose Caballero, SS
- Ryan McMahon, 3B
- Austin Wells, C
The bench isn’t exactly lacking either. Paul Goldschmidt, Amed Rosario and Randal Grichuk are all available for pinch-hitting duty, particularly if Webb gets pulled for a lefty reliever.
Fried Gets the Ball
Max Fried takes the mound for Opening Night, stepping into the ace role while Cole’s sidelined. It’s his second season in pinstripes, and he’ll anchor this rotation until the Yankees get their established ace back.
The bullpen’s healthy and ready to go. All arms should be available for this one.
What makes this lineup work is the depth throughout. Judge remains the centerpiece, but there’s pop from top to bottom. Bellinger and Stanton provide veteran presence, while Chisholm adds speed and versatility.
With Volpe out, Caballero steps in at shortstop. It’s not ideal, but it’s manageable for a team with this much offensive talent.
The Yankees know what they’re getting with Webb – he’s a groundball pitcher who commands the strike zone. This lineup seems built to handle that approach, with several hitters who can turn mistakes into extra-base hits.
