New York's first three homers came off the first three pitches of the game -- an MLB record -- as Judge later hit a grand slam and finished with eight RBI

Following Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees' franchise record nine-home-run performance on Saturday, Judge said that while "nobody can replace" former teammate Juan Soto, the team did a solid job filling the void that he left when he signed with the New York Mets.

That’s how the drama ended, but not the memory of this tour de force. The ambush started with three straight home runs in the first three pitches from Nestor Cortes – Paul Goldschmidt, Cody Bellinger and Judge – which put an official stamp on the 2025 post- Juan Soto era.

Aaron Judge and the rest of the New York Yankees' lineup couldn't be stopped on Saturday. Judge hit three home runs through four innings against the Milwaukee Brewers, as the Yankees ran away with a 20-9 win to improve to 2-0 on the season.

With Juan Soto playing across town now after his one-year stint in The Bronx, the Yankees knew they had to do something during the offseason to make up for the loss of the generational 26-year-old. That something paid off in a big way on Saturday.

The content of every hitters' meeting held within the confines of the Yankees’ clubhouse is usually guarded like a state secret, with players and coaches wary of leaking information that may provide competitive advantages to opponents.