iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — The New York Yankees may have been sellers at the trade deadline, but that doesn’t mean the future is far away.
After trading away three star players with expensive contracts in closer Aroldis Chapman, reliever Andrew Miller and designated hitter Carlos Beltran, the Yankees were considered to be rebuilding. That feeling grew in the last week, as first baseman Mark Teixeira announced his retirement and the team released slugger Alex Rodriguez.
But the callup of two of the franchise’s top prospects paid instant dividends on Saturday. Tyler Austin and Aaron Judge each started the game against the Tampa Bay Rays, and in the second inning, hit back-to-back solo home runs.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the feat made Austin and Judge the first teammates in history to hit back-to-back home runs in each of their first career plate appearances.
Judge’s home run, estimated at 457 feet long, was also the longest by a Yankee at home since Alex Rodriguez’ 460-foot bomb in June 2011.
