Daily Report – 4/4/25
Here is today’s report and weekend roundup:
Yankees
Sometimes we forget just how incredible Aaron Judge is. The captain. The greatest hitter in baseball. One of the all-time great Yankees sluggers.
Tonight, in Pittsburgh, he will play his 1,000th career game. Last night against Arizona, the Yankees avoided a sweep thanks in part to Judge’s 500th career extra-base hit. Only Joe DiMaggio (853 games) and Lou Gehrig (874 games) reached 500 extra-base hits in fewer games than Judge. Of course, Judge’s 500th career extra-base hit was his 320th career home run, and through #99’s first 99 games, Judge has the most home runs (320) among all Major League Baseball hitters. Ryan Howard ranks second with 279.
In his last 129 games, Judge has a .359 average, 57 home runs, and 140 runs batted in. In his career, Judge has made 4,350 plate appearances and 3,588 at-bats. He has scored 747 runs with 1,036 hits, 320 home runs, 54 stolen bases, a .298 batting average, a .406 on-base percentage, a .608 slugging percentage, and a 1.014 OPS. He also has 53.3 wins above replacement and 174 weighted runs created plus.
“He’s Aaron Judge. He just keeps on performing, man, showing us why he’s the MVP of this league and one of the best players to ever play this game,” Jazz Chisholm Jr. said last night. “We all just try to be like him. We all tell him every day, ‘Hey, we want to be you when we grow up.’”
The Yankees struck out 30 times between Tuesday against Corbin Burnes and Wednesday against Zac Gallen on Wednesday. Before last night’s game, though, Giancarlo Stanton told the team it was important to defend their turf. They did so early on, scoring four runs against Merrill Kelly in the first inning. The Bombers scored nine runs overall last night, and Judge, Jazz Chisholm Jr., and Trent Grisham all went deep.
Judge certainly defended his turf, going three-for-five with four runs batted in and a stolen base, becoming the first MLB player to ever hit five homers and drive in 15 runs through his team’s first six games of a season. The Yankees’ 22 home runs this season are the most by any MLB team through their first six games in baseball history, eclipsing the previous record of 17 set by Detroit (2006), Colorado (2016), and Los Angeles (2019).
“We never exhale, we’ve seen that too many times in this game when you score early and a team answers right back,” said Judge. Ryan Yarbrough gave up a grand slam to Geraldo Perdomo in the seventh inning last night. “That’s been our thing at the beginning of this year: Don’t let off the gas. Keep scoring until you get that final out,” Judge added. The Yankees cannot expect their bullpen to be perfect every night, so offense is critical, especially early in games. The Yankees scored four runs in the first inning last night.
Carlos Carrasco toed the slab for the Yankees last night. The 38-year-old cancer survivor and Roberto Clemente Award winner was strong on the mound, throwing 82 pitches across 5.1 innings. He gave up three runs, five hits, and two walks while recording five strikeouts. “I just went out there to get outs and made my pitches,” he said.
Things are running pretty smoothly so far for the 4-2 Yankees. Let’s see what Judge has in store tonight in his 1,000th career game.
Tonight at 4:12 PM (3:12 PM CDT), the Yankees will kick off a six-game road trip with the first game of a three-game set in Pittsburgh (YES). LHP Max Fried (0-0, 3.86 ERA) will start for the Yankees against RHP Mitch Keller (1-0, 1.50 ERA).
Here is tonight’s starting lineup for the New York Yankees (Cody Bellinger is absent with a stiff back):
DH Ben Rice (L)
RF Aaron Judge (C) (R)
2B Jazz Chisholm Jr. (L)
1B Paul Goldschmidt (R)
C Austin Wells (L)
SS Anthony Volpe (R)
CF Trent Grisham (L)
LF Jasson Domínguez (S)
3B Oswaldo Cabrera (S)
P: LHP Max Fried (0-0, 3.86 ERA)
Tomorrow at 4:05 PM (3:05 PM CDT), RHP Marcus Stroman (0-0, 5.79 ERA) will pitch against LHP Bailey Falter (0-0, 3.00 ERA) (YES).
On Sunday at 1:35 PM (12:35 PM CDT), the Yankees will conclude their visit to Pittsburgh as RHP Will Warren (0-0, 3.60 ERA) starts for the Yankees against LHP Andrew Heaney (0-0, 1.80 ERA) (YES).
Transactions:
4/4: NYY activated RHP Devin Williams from the paternity list
4/4: NYY designated RHP Adam Ottavino for assignment
Rangers
When Connor McDonald addressed the Madison Square Garden crowd on Wednesday night, he left a special message for the Rangers. “And I tell this team tonight,” he began, “My father suffered 30 years and died for this city. He never gave up. He never gave up. As you reach toward the playoffs, just remember my father, and never give up.”
McDonald continued, “[My father] loved this city, I know you love this city. Remember where we come from and go kick some ass.”
The Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award has been a New York Rangers cornerstone for decades. And the Rangers honored the late great Steven McDonald with a hard-fought win. It wasn’t pretty, but it was a significant two points as the Rangers continued their pursuit of the postseason.
Panarin scored a goal and notched two assists for his sixth three-point game of the season, and his 60th since 2019-20. He notched the assist on Vincent Trocheck’s game-winning overtime goal. It was Gabe Perreault’s special night, but Panarin stole the spotlight.
“Just trying to take it to the neutral zone to their forward side and I think Bread had a bit of a switch and I thought I could beat my guy to the back of the post,” said Trocheck after scoring the Rangers’ second overtime game-winning goal of the season. “I don’t know if he was passing or shooting, but one way or another, it was a nice play.”
“It was a pass, you know me, come on!” said Panarin. “Whole arena say, ‘Shoot!’ I’m like, ‘Alright, I know better.’”
JT Miller won the overtime opening faceoff, and he immediately went to the bench for Vincent Trocheck. Trocheck moved the puck into the offensive zone and advanced below the right circle. He then circled the net and passed the puck outside to Artemi Panarin at the left point. Trocheck skated toward the right post as Panarin advanced down the left circle. He whistled a perfect pass across the slot to Trocheck, who tipped the puck past Minnesota’s goaltender Filip Gustavsson to win the game.
In the second period, Chris Kreider scored his first even-strength goal since January 19 to put the Rangers ahead 2-1. He took advantage of an error in front of Filip Gustavsson and flipped the puck over his left pad. Before Wednesday’s game, I wrote about how Gabe Perreault’s debut could mark the end of Chris Kreider’s Broadway tenure. In fact, throughout this tumultuous season, young Rangers have shined bright while many stars have faded. Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, and Chris Kreider have all regressed this season. Meanwhile, players like Will Cuylle, Matt Rempe, and Jonny Brodzinski have excelled.
Which is why Cuylle won the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award. Not Mika Zibanejad. Not Chris Kreider. Not Artemi Panarin. Not Vincent Trocheck. Will Cuylle. In his second NHL season.
Gabe Perreault debuted for the Rangers on Wednesday night, and he took his rookie lap around the Garden ice with his Boston College teammates cheering him on. When Joe Tolleson called his name as a starter, he shook under the Garden lights, realizing his lifelong NHL dream had come true.
It wasn’t a perfect debut for Perreault, though. He didn’t record any points, and 15 minutes into the third period, Minnesota took a 2-1 lead as Brock Faber fired a wrist shot from the right point that deflected off Perreault’s stick and past Igor Shesterkin. Nonetheless, “It was super fun,” according to Perreault. “Playing in this building is something I’ve never done before, and to finally get to be able to do it was unreal.”
I was impressed with Perreault’s physicality, which he demonstrated in each of his 13:63 minutes on the Garden ice. He prefers to pass the puck than to shoot it. In fact, he passed up an open shooting lane at one point and surprised Alexis Lafrenière with a heavy pass. He also received power play time, during which he looked more confident than anyone in the first unit.
Which brings me to my next point. The Rangers’ power play continued to struggle on Wednesday, going 0-for-4 despite an extended 5v3 opportunity. To add insult to injury, the Rangers even allowed a shorthanded goal in the second period. Vincent Trocheck misplayed the puck in the neutral zone, and Gustav Nyquist took it away. Minnesota attacked the Rangers’ zone with a 3v2, and Marcus Johansson ripped a shot from the high slot to tie the game at three. Perhaps it’s time for a power play personnel change.
I’ve been saying this for a while now, but the moves the Rangers have made this season – amid, of course, the team quitting after 15 games – show two things: The Rangers’ future will focus on physicality AND the players of the next Blueshirts core are already here.
So saddle up because Gabe Perreault just entered the stable.
Tomorrow at 12:30 PM (11:30 AM CDT), the Rangers will visit the Rock to play the Devils (ABC).
Schedule
Friday 4/4:
4:12 PM (3:12 PM CDT): NYY at PIT; YES, Gotham Sports; SP: LHP Max Fried (0-0, 3.86 ERA)
7:00 PM (6:00 PM CDT): 2025 NCAA Women’s Final Four – South Carolina (1) vs. Texas (1); ESPN
9:30 PM (9:30 PM CDT): 2025 NCAA Women’s Final Four – UCLA (1) vs. UConn (2); ESPN
Saturday 4/5:
12:25 PM (11:25 AM CDT): ABC Hockey Saturday – NYR at NJ; ABC
3:00 PM (2:00 PM CDT): NYK at ATL; MSG
4:05 PM (3:05 PM CDT): NYY at PIT; YES, Gotham Sports; SP: RHP Marcus Stroman (0-0, 5.79 ERA)
6:00 PM (5:00 PM CDT): 2025 NCAA March Madness Final Four (Men’s) – Florida (1) vs. Auburn (1); CBS, Paramount+
8:30 PM (7:30 PM CDT): 2025 NCAA March Madness Final Four (Men’s) – Houston (1) vs. Duke (1); CBS, Paramount+
Sunday 4/6:
1:35 PM (12:35 PM CDT): NYY at PIT; YES, Gotham Sports; SP: RHP Will Warren (0-0, 3.60 ERA)
3:00 PM (2:00 PM CDT): 2025 NCAA DI Women’s Basketball Championship – Teams TBA; ABC
7:00 PM (6:00 PM CDT): NYK at PHX; MSG
That will conclude this report. Enjoy your weekend!
