Watch: Yankees Catcher Hits Historic Home Run in Team's First At-Bat of Season

The New York Yankees put their catcher in the leadoff spot on Opening Day, and the move paid off when he homered in the team's first at-bat of the regular season.

Oct 29, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells (28) rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game four of the 2024 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The 2025 regular season is off to a smashing start for the New York Yankees.

In the first inning of their Opening Day showdown against the Milwaukee Brewers, starting pitcher Carlos Rodon struck out the first batter he faced -- star outfielder Jackson Chourio -- with a wicked 0-2 slider on his way to a one-two-three inning.

In the bottom half of the frame, catcher Austin Wells stepped up to the plate against a tough customer in Brewers ace Freddy Peralta, and he wasted no time getting his team on the board.

Peralta left a 2-0 four-seam fastball at the top of the zone, and Wells crushed it at an exit velocity of 103.7 mph on a line over the wall in the short porch in Yankee Stadium's right field.

Well(s) that was quick 💥

The first #OpeningDay home run comes off the bat of Austin Wells 💪 pic.twitter.com/0HZ3tGk6cj

— MLB (@MLB) March 27, 2025

The home run is a historic one, as it comes in the first regular season game in Yankees franchise history in which a catcher occupied the leadoff spot.

To make things even more historic, the ESPN broadcast stated that was the first leadoff home run for a catcher on Opening Day in the history of Major League Baseball.

With Gleyber Torres gone to the Detroit Tigers, the team was in need of a new full-time leadoff hitter, and manager Aaron Boone saw Wells as the man for the job this spring.

Wells, who slashed .229/.322/.395 in his rookie year in 2024, is a more effective hitter than those numbers suggest, and he showcased his development in spring training when he slashed .348/.400/.783.

With the ultimate lineup protection in Aaron Judge batting ahead of him, Wells' power will be a big asset for New York in the leadoff spot, just as it was in his first at-bat Thursday.