Fresh From the Dentist, Jack Hughes Shows Off New Teeth at Yankees First Pitch

The New York Yankees invited Jack Hughes and Aerin Frankel to throw the ceremonial pitch at the first home game of the Yankees.

Fresh From the Dentist, Jack Hughes Shows Off New Teeth at Yankees First Pitch

Jack Hughes and Aerin Frankel threw the ceremonial first pitch at the 2026 Opening Day at the Yankees Stadium in Bronx (Image via Sportsnaut)

In Short
  • Jack Hughes showcased his newly repaired teeth while throwing the ceremonial first pitch at Yankees Stadium.
  • The New York Yankees defeated the Miami Marlins 8-2, improving their record to 6-1.
  • Cody Bellinger made a remarkable catch during the game, earning praise from fans and teammates.

The New Jersey Devils forward and Olympic-winning goalscorer Jack Hughes finally had the opportunity to fix his chipped tooth. The 24-year-old flaunted his polished and repaired pearly whites on Friday while throwing the ceremonial first pitch at the 2026 Opening Day game at Yankee Stadium.

Hughes was joined by Aerin Frankel, the US women’s team goaltender, in the Bronx when they joined for the New York Yankees game against the Miami Marlins. The US men’s and women’s team recorded historic wins at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics, Hughes and Frankel a huge part of the team’s victories. On the night of the men’s final against neighbors Canada, Hughes’ front teeth were knocked out after Sam Bennett‘s stick took a hit on his face in the third period.

Hughes played with the bloody mouth, scoring the gold-medal winner in overtime. The gold medal, both Hughes and Frankel’s, also made its way to the Bronx.

His post-win activities, from partying with Kash Patel, joining in on the unfunny and misogynistic jokes Donald Trump passed on, to leaning on the president’s chair during their White House visit, had sullied his fame.

The ceremonial first pitch follows a long list of post-Olympic publicity outings for the middle Hughes, including a SNL appearance with Heated Rivalry fame Connor Storrie. But this was one of those moments he hoped would happen in the wake of his win. Hughes said after the match:

When everything went down [at the Olympics], this one thing I was wishing [and] hoping for. Opening Day [at the Stadium] is almost too much. It’s a lot of pressure.

The New York Yankees continued their scintillating run in the season so far against the Marlins, too. The Yankees beat the visitors 8-2, who entered with the same record as them (5-1). Aaron Judge hit a go-ahead, two-run homer, electrifying the audience, and Ben Rice also homered, scoring a two-run double. On the mound, Will Warren went 5.2 innings, allowed just 4 hits and 2 earned runs, and struck out 6 while earning the win.

The Yankees are now 6-1, having swept the San Francisco Giants and a 2-1 victory against the Seattle Mariners. They lead the American League East with a comfortable two-win lead over the Toronto Blue Jays.

Cody Bellinger made an unreal catch for the Yankees

Everyone’s saying that the catch of the year might have already happened. The New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger made an unreal catch to save what would have been an extra-base hit.

Cody Bellinger (Image via Bozeman Daily Chronicle)
Cody Bellinger (Image via Bozeman Daily Chronicle)

Miami Marlins’ Xavier Edwards ripped a 96.4 mph liner to left off left-hander Ryan Yarbrough in the top of the ninth and forced Bellinger to retreat toward the warning track. He leaped at the edge of the grass, knocking the ball down, but couldn’t come up with the catch. In a strange twist of events, Bellinger swooped in blind, caught the ball with his gloved hand, and called the out.

Of course, Yankee Stadium reached a new decibel level with the cheers for Bellinger. There are no adjectives or any word structures to explain the catch. Here’s the video of the catch.

However, the 2019 Gold Glove winner is really humble about his exploits, calling himself just lucky to have caught the ball. He told the reporters:

The Yankees will play the Marlins twice more before hosting the Athletics for a three-game series. The Athletics, unlike the Marlins, have had a relatively slow start. They have a 2-5 record, scooping one more for the win column yesterday against the Houston Astros.

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