Aaron Judge Striking out 4 Times in 2026 Season Opener Against Giants Has Fans in Stitches: “Getting Ready for the Playoffs”

Aaron Judge did not have the best of starts to the 2026 season as he went 0-for-5 with 4 strikeouts against the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday.

Aaron Judge Striking out 4 Times in 2026 Season Opener Against Giants Has Fans in Stitches: “Getting Ready for the Playoffs”

Aaron Judge (Image via X/@BaseballQuotes1)

The 2026 MLB season got underway on Wednesday as the New York Yankees defeated the San Francisco Giants 7-0. While the team had a good performance, their captain, Aaron Judge struggled. In the opening game, he struck out 4 times.

The past few days have not been the best for Judge. Last week, he and Team USA suffered another World Baseball Classic (WBC) heartbreak as they lost 3-2 against Venezuela in the finals at the loanDepot Park in Miami.

The outfielder struggled with the bat in the final. He went 0-for-4 and struck out three times in the huge showdown.

As per StatsMuse, the Yankees star went 2-for-11 in the elimination games and struck out 6 times. This led to many making fun of him on social media.

On Wednesday, the 33-year-old tried to put that disappointment behind him and start the new season on a high. A 5-run second inning, along with a strong showing from Max Fried from the mound, saw the Bronx Bombers take the opening game by a 7-0 score.

Judge, however, did not have a great time. The 7-time MLB All-Star struck out 4 times in his 5 at-bats. This marked the first time he had struck out 4 times in an MLB game since September 2024.

This also saw him create an unwanted piece of history. According to MLB insider Bryan Hoch, Judge became the first reigning MVP to strike out 4 times in the team’s first game of the season.

The previous mark was of 3, held by Willie Stargell (1980), Sammy Sosa (1999), Mike Trout (2015), Josh Donaldson (2016) and Kris Bryant (2017).

Aaron Judge trolled on social media after posting golden sombrero in first game of 2026 season

Aaron Judge did not have the start he was hoping for. The 3-time American League MVP posted a golden sombrero (batter striking out 4 times in a game) in the opening game of the 2026 campaign.

Aaron Judge
Aaron Judge (Image via NY Post)

Fans on social media would troll the Yankees captain for this. Many users on X took a swipe at him. One wrote, “getting ready for the playoffs“, while taking an aim at his postseason record.

Check out that and some other fan reactions below:

Well, all things considered, it was just the first game of the season. The Yankees fanbase could take the team’s overall result as a positive sign, as they won comfortably without a major contribution from Judge.

Barry Bonds backs Aaron Judge amid criticism following poor performances

Aaron Judge has suffered a slight dip in his form in recent weeks. His shortcomings in the WBC led to many criticizing him heavily. Amid this, Barry Bonds came to his defense and backed him.

Barry Bonds and Aaron Judge
Barry Bonds and Aaron Judge (Image via Fox News)

The 7-time MLB MVP would join the Netflix broadcasting booth on Wednesday during the Yankees-Giants game at Oracle Park. During this, Bonds expressed that Judge was the one player he would want on his team.

If you want to talk about team, that’s the man I want on my team. If you want to talk about character, that’s the man I want on my team.

Barry Bonds said regarding Aaron Judge via Netflix Sports

The 2026 campaign is the 11th season of Judge with the Yankees. Despite his individual brilliance, he has been unable to guide the team to World Series victory.

This is something that Bonds knows very well. During his 15-season stay with the Giants, the 14-time MLB All-Star would fail to win a championship ring. The closest they got was in 2002 when they lost in Game 7 against the Anaheim Angels.

Like Bonds, Judge has played in one World Series. In 2024, the Yankees would take on the Los Angeles Dodgers in a marquee matchup. Despite hitting a home run in Game 5, an error from him in the 5th inning ignited the comeback of the Dodgers, who won the game 7-6 and the series 4-1.

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