Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani Launch Massive Homers In First Inning Of Dodgers-Yankees World Series Rematch

This weekend marks the highly anticipated World Series rematch between the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers. 

Any regular-season matchup between the Dodgers and Yankees grabs attention from across the league, but this year means just a little bit more. 

The Dodgers won the series four games to one, thanks in no small part to the Yankees defensive self-destruction in the fifth inning of Game Five. Then, as part of their celebrations, Dodgers players admitted they expected the Yankees to make mistakes on defense. Advance scouting said that New York was prone to poor effort and lackadaisical fundamentals on routine plays. Yankees players and manager Aaron Boone didn't take too kindly to that criticism.

READ: Aaron Boone The Latest Yankee To Criticize Dodgers

Beyond the bad blood, as always with the Dodgers and Yankees, there's star power left and right, high-powered offenses, and elite pitching. Even with some different roster composition than in October. And key injuries on both sides.

That star power almost immediately showed up, thanks to two of the many MVPs playing this weekend in LA: Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 30: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees celebrates after a solo home run in the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on May 30, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Yankees, Dodgers, Trade Big Homers In Start of World Series Rematch

Judge started things off in the top of the first inning with a mammoth 446-foot home run to dead center field off starting pitcher Tony Gonsolin.

For Judge, it had to be satisfying to immediately contribute on offense after he struggled at the plate and in the field during the World Series. 

But Shohei Ohtani had something to say about it too, demolishing a ball 106mph to left-center field off current AL Cy Young favorite Max Fried in the bottom of the first.

It's pretty rare for a baseball series to live up to the hype, thanks to the randomness inherent in the sport and the fact that even the best players fail 60-70% of the time. But for the two best players in the sport, the reigning MVPs, to launch dueling home runs in the first inning of the most anticipated regular season series of the year? That's when it's easy to be romantic about baseball.