The New York Yankees hammered the San Francisco Giants by a score of 7-0 in their season opener on Wednesday night, and outside of Aaron Judge going 0-for-5 (that Judge guy stinks!), it was hard to find any negatives.

The Yankees hit well, they pitched well and they looked every bit as dangerous as many anticipated heading into the campaign.

But here are the biggest takeaways from New York's Game 1 victory.

Max Fried went 6.2 innings in the victory, allowing just two hits while walking one and striking out four.

It was a clinic to which Yankees fans have been accustomed whenever Fried is on the mound, so his brilliance shouldn't surprise anyone.

But can you imagine just how good this starting rotation will be once Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon return?

Remember: Cole and Fried haven't gotten the chance to pitch together yet. The former missed all of 2025 due to Tommy John surgery. Once he returns, New York's pitching staff may very well be the best in baseball.

That's assuming Rodon — who had his elbow cleaned out following last season — returns to form, as well.

Yes, on paper, the Yankees' lineup has some weak spots, but what team in baseball has a perfect batting order? Not even the Los Angeles Dodgers do with their gazillion dollar payroll.

But on Wednesday, every single player that stepped to the plate for the Bronx Bombers had a hit ... other than Judge. When Judge doesn't get on base at all and you still score seven runs, you're in great shape.

Obviously, the Yanks will need Judge to be Judge over the course of the 162-game campaign, but when you have supporting pieces like Giancarlo Stanton (more on him in a second), Cody Bellinger, Ben Rice and Jazz Chisholm, you should be alright.

It was also good to see guys like Austin Wells and Ryan McMahon — presumed weak links — getting in on the action.

In Spring Training, Stanton revealed that he had so much pain in his elbows that he struggled to even open a bag of chips.

Stanton has been dealing with chronic elbow issues for a couple of years now, but it didn't stop him from putting on a historic show in the 2024 playoffs, nor did it prevent him from posting a .944 OPS and smashing 24 home runs in half a season last year.

Well, the former MVP looked great in his exhibition appearances this spring, and that carried over into the season opener against the Giants.

Stanton went 2-for-4 on the night, featuring a bullet RBI single to right-center field in typical Stanton fashion.

Thankfully, Big G still knows how to swing a bat in spite of his nagging elbow pain.

Yankees Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Yankees. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.