The Blue Jays may have fired the first shot of the 2026 season before it even began, and Aaron Judge was the target. The Yankees–Blue Jays spring training game gave plenty of clues about what might be coming once the regular season starts!

Well, last year was all Blue Jays as they went 8–5 against the Yankees in the regular season and even knocked them out in the ALDS, three games to one. So yes, the Yankees’ 8–7 spring win felt like a welcome change. Still, the real headline wasn’t the result. It was Aaron Judge!

Getting drilled by the very first pitch he saw immediately set fans off, with many convinced the Blue Jays were already up to some ugly tricks.

“Aaron Judge got plunked by the first pitch he saw from a Blue Jays pitcher in 2026,” Talkin’ Yanks shared.

Well, it turned out to be a pretty high-scoring game. For the Yankees, Paul Goldschmidt was the big bat, going deep and driving in four runs. Aaron Judge didn’t homer this time, but he still knocked in two runs, even after a scary moment early on!

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The very first pitch he saw ended up being a hit-by-pitch, and it looked nasty. Blue Jays pitcher Grant Rogers threw one that came right at Judge’s elbow, though Judge managed to turn his back and avoid the worst of it.

Fortunately, Judge stayed in the game, brushed it off, and even picked up a single in the fifth inning off Jesse Hahn.

No injury, no drama from Judge himself, but fans were a different story.

A lot of them are convinced this is what happens when someone dominates the way Judge did last year, especially when the rest of the Yankees’ lineup was inconsistent.

Notably, Aaron Judge was unreal last year, becoming just the third player ever to hit 50-plus homers while also leading the league in batting average. So, for the opponents, if you neutralize Judge, you’ve already done half the job against the Yankees.

So while Judge kept things calm on the field, social media definitely didn’t. Rogers has been catching heat ever since, and if the reaction is any indication, this might’ve just added a fresh edge to the Yankees–Blue Jays rivalry heading into the season.

Fans are calling out the Blue Jays for cheap tricks

Fans are all certain that the first pitch was absolutely intentional from the Blue Jays’ end. “Intentional, he should’ve charged the mound,” one fan said. “That was deliberate,” added another.

Well, batters after an HBP charging at the pitcher is so common in baseball, followed by bench clearing. However, that’s not what typical Aaron Judge is. Even last year’s postseason, he was HBP by the Red Sox and Blue Jays pitchers, especially in the ALDS. That time, Aaron Judge kept his calm and focused more on what he is supposed to do, hitting homers.

So, here also, despite the pitch looking deliberate and fans asking to charge the mound, when Judge is in the batter’s box, that seems unlikely.

“Haha, blue jays are scared to throw it to judgment day. I would be too. Best hitter to ever play, everyone jealous af over him,” another user remarked. “In spring training????!!!” One more surprised response.

Since when have the spring training games started to look more competitive and less about getting accustomed? Even in this game, the Blue Jays fielded 8 pitchers and 20 sluggers in the lineup. All for a fair amount of practice sessions for all. So, seeing the HBP, fans are surprised by what made the Blue Jays so competitive against Aaron Judge. “Everyone is jealous of the best hitter to ever play,” said another fan.

“In a spring training game, where most pitchers are working on mechanics or new pitches & grips. Yea thats intentional HBP,” another fan agrees.

So, an HBP in a spring training game, and that too against Aaron Judge, was what made the fans turn on the Blue Jays. Considering how the Yankees-Blue Jays rivalry went last year, this might just be a hint about what’s coming next!