The score looked fake. Spring training games aren’t supposed to feel like a beer-league softball box score, yet that’s exactly what Saturday in Tampa turned into when the New York Yankees flattened the Detroit Tigers 20–3. It wasn’t clean baseball, it wasn’t tight baseball, and it absolutely wasn’t subtle. It was loud, messy, and kind of perfect for late February.
The kind of day that reminds you what this lineup can be
When the Yankees hit six homers in a spring game, the takeaway isn’t the final score. It’s the reminder of how terrifying this order can look when even half the regulars are locked in. Aaron Judge launching two balls into orbit isn’t news anymore, but it still changes the temperature of a stadium the second it happens.
When Judge is sending the ball to orbit in February, pitchers notice. So do teammates. Energy spreads fast in those dugouts.
The real jolt, though, came from the kids. Spencer Jones crushed one, and if you’ve followed his minor-league numbers — 35 home runs across two levels last year — you know the tools aren’t theoretical anymore. He looks closer than the organization probably wants to admit.
Then came the avalanche inning, the eighth. Dropping a grand slam had to feel good for Roderick Arias, mostly because he has been more projection than production so far in the system. A swing that could have been the start of something.
Tyler Hardman and Jackson Castillo also went yard.
Domínguez still feels like the X-factor
You could argue the most important Yankee stat line didn’t even involve a homer. Jasson Domínguez scoring twice, driving in a run, and working a walk is exactly what the club wants from him right now. Not fireworks. Just controlled damage.
The Yankees don’t need Domínguez to be a superhero. They need him to be a stable, everyday threat and that means most of his playing time in the early going might come at Triple-A.
Paul Goldschmidt logged two hits and plated a couple of runs. That signing wasn’t about headlines. It was about run production against lefties and defensive insurance.
The pitching line won’t scare anyone, but the radar gun will
Lost in the offensive circus was rookie fireballer Carlos Lagrange. The line wasn’t dominant — two runs (one earned) in 2.2 innings, traffic on the bases, a homer allowed — yet the only number scouts really cared about was 102 mph. Velocity like that buys you patience.
You can teach command. You can’t teach triple digits.
David Bednar and Fernando Cruz did their part too, with clean frames. The bullpen also got a tidy outing from Brock Selvidge, tossing an inning with no runs and two punchouts. None of it will make March highlight reels, but depth arms deciding to throw strikes this early matters more than fans think.
Sunday’s Subway Series tune-up at George Steinbrenner Field won’t carry real standings weight. Still, games like this one send a message inside the clubhouse. This offense isn’t trying to be good.
It’s trying to be overwhelming.
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