Rookie rampage leads Yankees to break MLB home run record despite loss

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The New York Yankees have wasted no time rewriting the record books in the early days of the 2025 MLB season. Led by a trio of young rising stars — Anthony Volpe, Jasson Domínguez, and Ben Rice — the Yankees have erupted with a power surge that has not only electrified the Bronx but etched their names in Major League Baseball history.

Despite a late stumble in Monday night’s contest, the Yankees’ offensive outburst through the first four games has been nothing short of sensational. With 18 home runs already, they have set a new MLB record for most homers in a team’s first four games, surpassing the previous mark of 16 held by the 2006 Detroit Tigers. Their 41 total runs trail only the 1950 Yankees’ 48 for most runs through four games in franchise history.

‘The Martian’ makes his presence felt

It took Jasson Dominguez just over three games to deliver the moment Yankees fans had been waiting for. Nicknamed “The Martian” for his otherworldly talent, the 21-year-old outfielder connected on his first home run of the season in the third inning Monday — a 377-foot solo shot off former Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes. The blast, which came off the bat at 100 mph, was a textbook display of Domínguez’s effortless power.

“I’ve been feeling pretty good; I feel like I’m seeing the ball well,” Domínguez said postgame. “Just staying confident and putting good swings on the ball.”

Domínguez would finish the night with two hits, helping spark a lineup that continues to blend veteran leadership with rookie firepower.

Volpe’s ‘torpedo’ bat keeps firing for Yankees

Anthony Volpe, the Yankees’ energetic shortstop and breakout sensation of 2024, continued his torrid start to the season by tying Monday’s game in the fourth inning with his third home run of the year. The 418-foot blast into the visiting bullpen came off Burnes’ 93.3 mph cutter, clocking an exit velocity of 106.7 mph.

Volpe is one of several Yankees experimenting with the now-buzzed-about “Torpedo” bat — a bat design that’s gained popularity across MLB for its balance and supposed increase in bat speed. So far, the results are speaking volumes.

Volpe’s early-season power has been key to the Yankees’ offensive eruption. According to Stats Perform, the Yankees are now the first team in MLB history to have nine different players hit a home run within their first four games, and the first club ever to feature three players (Volpe, Aaron Judge, and Jazz Chisholm Jr.) with three or more homers in that span.

Ben Rice continues to impress

With Giancarlo Stanton sidelined, the Yankees have called upon rookie first baseman Ben Rice — and the left-handed slugger is making the most of his opportunity. Rice collected two more hits Monday night, including a mammoth ninth-inning home run that soared 403 feet into the second deck in right field. The shot came off a 95.7 mph fastball and left the bat at a scorching 107.8 mph.

“We think we’ve got a resilient team that can dig ourselves out of any holes,” said Rice. “Unfortunately, tonight we weren’t able to. But this group believes in itself.”

In just his first week of big-league action, Rice is quickly establishing himself as a force in the Yankees’ lineup. His presence from the left side has added much-needed balance to a traditionally right-heavy batting order.

History-making offense

Through their first four games, the 2025 Yankees have already joined elite company. Their 36 runs in the first three games put them alongside only two other teams in modern MLB history: the 1954 Cubs (41 runs) and the 1978 Brewers (40 runs). With 41 total runs and 18 home runs through four games, the Yankees’ start has drawn national attention — and not just for the offensive numbers.

While power hitters are thriving, it’s the youth of this core that makes the performance even more promising for a long 162-game campaign.

Will Warren shows poise on the mound

Though overshadowed by the offense, the Yankees also received a strong performance from rookie right-hander Will Warren. Pressed into rotation duty due to injuries to Gerrit Cole, Luis Gil, and Clarke Schmidt, Warren is beginning to prove why he earned the trust of manager Aaron Boone and the front office.

Facing a lefty-heavy Arizona Diamondbacks lineup, Warren went five innings and allowed just one hit — a two-run homer to Corbin Carroll in the third inning. He walked four and struck out four, including a key fifth-inning punch-out of Carroll with a runner on.

“I was just filling it up, putting them on their heels,” Warren said. “Later in the game, I fell behind and [Carroll] hit the home run because of the two-out walk [to Geraldo Perdomo]. But overall, I think making quick work was mainly from getting ahead and just trusting guys behind me.”

It marked Warren’s third outing in six career starts of five innings or more — a positive sign for a team currently piecing together its rotation amid key injuries.

Youth movement breathing new fire in the Bronx

The early dominance of the Yankees’ young core — headlined by Volpe, Domínguez, and Rice — has energized a fan base hungry for a new generation of Bronx Bombers. Their ability to hit for power, work deep counts, and deliver in big moments has created an exciting dynamic for the 2025 season.

And with reinforcements like Giancarlo Stanton, Gerrit Cole, and Luis Gil on the horizon, the early-season success could be just the beginning of something special.

As Yankee Stadium braces for its home opener later this week, the future feels very much like the present in the Bronx. The next chapter of Yankees greatness may well be unfolding before our eyes — one booming home run at a time.

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