Thursday, April 03

Austin Wells smiled as he stood outside a visiting clubhouse in Lakeland, Fla., last week, his Yankees continuing to play under the lights a few hundred feet away. The catcher had just belted his fifth and sixth home runs of the spring, perhaps a tease of what his power could look like this season.

“It’s been fun,” Wells said. “I know it’s just Spring Training, and you’ve got to do it in the real thing.”

That “real thing” begins for Wells and his teammates today, as the Yankees host the Brewers for the 123rd season opener in franchise history, looking to defend their American League pennant after falling to the Dodgers in last year’s World Series.

A lot has changed since the last time pinstripes were seen on the Yankee Stadium diamond 148 days ago; left-hander Max Fried, outfielder Cody Bellinger, closer Devin Williams and first baseman Paul Goldschmidt are among the new faces fans will greet along the first-base line.

“I feel like it’s been a good spring from a camaraderie and coming together standpoint, but that’s all it is at this point,” manager Aaron Boone said. “We’ve got to continue to work at that. Last year, I felt like that was a real strength for us. Hopefully it is this year as well.”

As Wells prepares to become the first Yankees catcher ever to bat leadoff in a regular season game, here are three other Bombers looking to carry their strong springs into Opening Day:

Cody Bellinger, OF

Bellinger’s left-handed, fly-ball stroke seems to be a perfect fit for Yankee Stadium, which will permit him to frequently take aim at the inviting 314-foot marker down the right-field line.

The early returns on the December trade that imported Bellinger from the Cubs looked promising. Bellinger was an offensive force throughout the spring, collecting 22 hits in 52 at-bats (.423), with five doubles, four home runs and eight RBIs. His last homer of the spring came in the Yanks’ exhibition against the Marlins on Tuesday in Miami.

“I’m confident in this group. I’m excited to be a part of it,” Bellinger said. “I think Thursday is going to be electric. Every Opening Day, you always get those jitters and those goosebumps and those nerves. It’s probably going to be a whole 'nother level in the Bronx.”

Ben Rice, C/1B/DH

Rice said he added 10 pounds over the offseason, much of it muscle, and the results showed. Rice finished second on the team in spring homers with five, collecting 15 hits in 62 at-bats (.242) – and Boone said Rice’s stat line doesn’t show the numerous scorched liners for which he went unrewarded in Grapefruit League play, drives the Yanks hope will fall now.

With Giancarlo Stanton unavailable for the foreseeable future as he deals with torn tendons in both elbows, Rice has an opportunity to showcase the promise he flashed at times last season, including the first three-homer game ever put forth by a Yankees rookie (July 6 vs. Boston).

“I know I can produce at an elite level,” Rice said. “I know I can do some really cool things.”

Carlos Carrasco, RHP

The Yankees entered the spring with arguably the Majors’ most formidable rotation, but injuries to Gerrit Cole and Luis Gil opened the door for the 38-year-old Carrasco to break camp in the starting five.

Saying he “found everything he needs” to be successful while fine-tuning his pitches, Carrasco earned his spot, pitching to a 1.69 ERA across five Grapefruit League outings (four starts). Carrasco held opponents to three runs and eight hits over 16 innings, permitting seven walks against 15 strikeouts.

Carlos Rodón, Fried and Marcus Stroman will start the first three games of the regular season, with Will Warren slotted fourth. Carrasco should start sometime during the D-backs series, though Boone has not decided which game.

“It feels really good, getting those pitches back like I used to pitch four or five years ago,” Carrasco said. “I know we had some rough years, and we learned from that. What happened last year, I learned this offseason and I just brought it here.”

Who was the most recent Yankee to hit an Opening Day home run?

A. Oswaldo Cabrera

B. Aaron Judge

C. Juan Soto

D. Alex Verdugo 

• Got questions about today’s season opener? We’ve got answers. Your need-to-know info is in our Opening Day FAQ.

• Andy Pettitte will draw the honors for today’s ceremonial first pitch in the Bronx. Bundle up if you’re heading to the game, though it won’t be as cold as Pettitte's memorable snowy home opener in 1996. 

• What’s on deck for the season ahead? Yankees Magazine’s Nathan Maciborski takes you month by month through the schedule.

A. Cabrera

Cabrera hit a sixth-inning homer off the Astros' Rafael Montero in last year's Opening Day contest on March 28 at Houston. 

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