The Yankees kicked off their season with a tight win over the Astros in a wild finish. Up by one in the bottom of the ninth, New York had runners on first and second with one out. Kyle Tucker lined a single into the outfield, and Houston sent Mauricio Dubón home. Juan Soto, in his Yankees debut, came up throwing from right field. His throw skipped in on a hop and nailed Dubón at the plate. Soto was pumped. The dugout erupted. Aaron Judge ran over yelling in celebration, and Soto let everyone know not to test his arm.
It wasn’t a guaranteed out. Replay angles were unclear, but the tag looked close enough, and the call stood. No challenge overturned it. The Astros had one out left, but Alex Bregman grounded out to short, and the Yankees sealed the win. Judge kept the energy high during the handshake line, hyping up new teammates Soto and Verdugo. He looked fired up about his new outfield crew, clearly impressed with the defensive play that saved the game.
Aaron Boone met his squad at the end, handing out high-fives with pride. It was just one game, but this one felt like a statement. The Yankees may have a different edge this year.