Team USA's Jack Hughes, Aerin Frankel Throwing Yankees Ceremonial First Pitches

Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils and goaltender Aerin Frankel of the PWHL's Boston Fleet will be throwing out the ceremonial first pitches for the New York Yankees' No. 124 home opener in franchise history.

The Yankees will be taking on the Miami Marlins on April 3 at 1:35 p.m. EST at Yankee Stadium. Pregame festivities are slated to begin at approximately 1:00 p.m. EST with the introduction of both teams on the baseline. Hughes and Frankel were bestowed the honor of throwing out the ceremonial pitches following both helping the Team USA men's and women's hockey teams bring back the gold medals from the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.

Full slate of festivities for our Home Opener!

Pregame ceremonies begin on Friday, April 3 at 1:00 PM 🙌 pic.twitter.com/WVWk2NtzHX
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) April 1, 2026

All Yankee Stadium gates will open to guests with valid tickets beginning at 11:30 a.m. EST, per a release from the MLB. Fans have been encouraged to arrive to the stadium as early as possible.

Hughes scored the overtime winner for the U.S. in the Americans' 2-1 OT win over Canada for the Olympic gold in Italy. Frankel and the U.S. women also defeated the Canadians by a final score of 2-1 — going into an extra frame; Frankel and the American women only let in two goals throughout their entire 2026 Winter Olympics.

U.S. Heroes Aerin Frankel, Jack Hughes Throwing Out Yankees' 2026 Home Opener Ceremonial First Pitches

The Yankees own an 82-40-1 all-time record in home openers and have won seven of their last nine since 2017.

Hughes has been a well-known Yankees fan for quite some time, attending a game back in 2019. The MLB Tik Tok even account made a post in Feb. honoring Hughes's journey to the Olympics while also recognizing his love for the Yankees.

Frankel's recognition by the Yankees and MLB comes after she made 30 saves in the gold medal win over Canada.

PWHL Boston Fleet, USA Hockey goaltender Aerin Frankel — Feb 19, 2026; Milan, Italy; Aerin Frankel (31) of the United States celebrates after winning the gold medal in women's ice hockey after defeating Canada during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

As previously mentioned, Hughes played the hero for the Americans and scored just 1:41 into overtime for the American men. Since returning to the Devils of the NHL following the Olympic break, the Florida native currently has 414 career points across 163 goals and 251 assists.

At only 24, Hughes became the fastest player in New Jersey history to reach 400 points — which was achieved in only 414 games on March 16, 2026.

Frankel is a Chappaqua, New York native. The PWHL and its players have seen rapid growth and fanfare following the success of the U.S. women's team, with ticket sales recently reaching historic numbers.

USA Hockey's gold medal wins for both the men and women were nicknamed the "Double Gold." It was the first time in U.S. and Olympic history that both the men's and women's teams won Olympic gold medals. In addition, the U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team claimed its fifth consecutive Paralympic Winter Games gold medal later on in March.

Tony Award winner Nikki M. James will be singing the national anthem as the Yankees kick off the home portion of their 2026 regular season, with the presentation of colors to be performed by the U.S. Army West Point Honor Guard.

Make sure you bookmark Breakaway On SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more!