Baseball fans were treated to a major showdown Friday night, as the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees met at Dodger Stadium in a rematch of the 2024 World Series.
The meeting also brought together two of Major League Baseball’s biggest names, reigning American League MVP Aaron Judge and reigning National League MVP Shohei Ohtani — and it didn’t take long for the two superstars to make their mark.
True to form, Ohtani and Judge traded home runs in the first inning, getting the highly anticipated matchup off to a flying start.
Judge showcased his power first, blasting his 19th home run of the season 446 feet over the center-field fence.
Aaron Judge’s 19th home run was DEMOLISHED!
(MLB x @Essilor) pic.twitter.com/3bbbvCbU0Y
— MLB (@MLB) May 31, 2025
Not to be outdone, Ohtani answered in the bottom half of the opening frame — depositing the first pitch he saw into the bleachers for his league-leading 21st home run of the season.
SHOHEI OHTANI ANSWERS RIGHT BACK 🤯#FridayNightBaseball pic.twitter.com/PKH1PHWqDF
— MLB (@MLB) May 31, 2025
Judge’s home run marked the first of four long balls for New York as it looked to notch a win in the opening game of the series. Austin Wells, Trent Grisham and Paul Goldschmidt went yard since, helping the Yankees to a 5-2 lead in the fifth inning.
