Yankees slugger Aaron Judge hits 2 HRs in spring debut

By Canadian Press on February 21, 2026.

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge hit two homers in his spring debut as he prepares for the World Baseball Classic next month.

The three-time Most Valuable Player hit a pair of two-run shots, one in the third inning and another in the fourth against the Detroit Tigers. He finished 2-for-3 with four RBIs.

The 33-year-old has won the MVP in three of the past four seasons, including last year when he hit .331 with 53 homers and 114 RBIs.

“We’ve got the WBC coming up, which I’m excited about, and an exciting Yankees season,” Judge said after his performance. “We’ve got a lot of unfinished business from last season, especially the way it ended for us. I’m just trying to put myself in the best position to help this team win a lot of ballgames.”

Judge will be part of what looks like a loaded Team USA lineup in the WBC. The position player group also includes Bryce Harper, Gunnar Henderson, Bobby Witt Jr., Cal Raleigh and Kyle Schwarber.

The WBC’s pool play round runs from March 5-11 at four sites in Tokyo, Houston, Miami and San Juan, Puerto Rico. The championship game will be on March 17 in Miami.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb

The Associated Press