New York Yankees fans excited as Aaron Judge smacks first home run of Spring Training: "How sweeeet it is" "All is right with the world" 

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge is back in the swing of things as he smacked his first home run of Spring Training Monday. He swatted a 1-2 offering off of Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Colin Selby with two on in the bottom of the second inning as the Yankees went on to win 9-2.

Aaron Judge won the American League Most Valuable Player award after setting a new AL home run record with 62 round-trippers last season. He nearly won the Triple Crown while leading the New York Yankees to the AL East championship, but was nearly flatlined in the playoffs with just five hits in 36 postseason at-bats.

Yankees fans are plenty pleased to see his first round-tripper of 2023.

Judge clubbed two homers and had four total hits in the New York Yankees' AL Division Series win against the Cleveland Guardians, but mustered up just one single in 16 AL Championship Series at-bats as the Yankees were swept by the eventual World Series champion Houston Astros.

The postseason has long been a troublesome time for Judge. The seven-year big-league veteran has just a .211 batting average over 12 playoff series since 2017.

In the regular season, Judge is hitting .284 with 220 home runs and 497 RBI. Last season, he led the league with 131 RBIs in addition to his record of 62 homers. His .311 batting average was the best of his career, finishing just five points behind Minnesota Twins infielder Luis Arraez for the AL batting title.

Yankee Nation is chomping at the bit to see what Judge will do for an encore to his stellar 2022 campaign. However, they will likely hope that the reigning AL MVP can do a bit more in the playoffs should New York qualify.

Judge's postseason dropoff for the Yankees has practically become an October tradition in the Bronx. Only in 2018 did he carry his regular-season production into the playoffs. That season, Judge hit .421 with three home runs over two playoff series against the Oakland Athletics and Boston Red Sox. Judge has also struck out 66 times in 171 postseason at-bats, with 13 total playoff homers.

Aaron Judge likely to be a New York Yankees player for life

Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees poses for a portrait during media day

Aaron Judge reportedly turned down bigger offers from other teams to sign a nine-year, $360 million contract with the New York Yankees in December. Judge, who turns 31 on April 26, was offered a seven-year, $213.5 million deal from New York prior to his record-breaking 2022 season.