Judge has connections and Sears accepted the kind gesture for a night out with his parents, who traveled from their home in South Carolina to be in New York for their very special Opening Day at Yankee Stadium. Here’s more on what Judge did from Sears, who was traded to the A’s in July of ’22 in a package of prospects for pitcher Frankie Montas:

Because we are watching a league in which righties are having more trouble hitting lefty pitching than at any time in recent history. And besides everything else Judge does brilliantly, he is just destroying lefties and helping the Yankees create an edge in an area where so many are struggling.

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Luis Severino is years removed from his status as a can’t-miss, flame-throwing prospect whose electric fastball and wipeout slider allowed him to debut as a 21-year-old for the Yankees in 2015.