The series opener between the New York Yankees and Miami Marlins, originally scheduled for Monday afternoon, has been pushed back into the evening due to an upcoming solar eclipse, per SNY.
“After discussions with Major League Baseball, the scheduled start time of the Yankees-Marlins game on Monday, April 8 at Yankee Stadium has been changed from 2:05 p.m. to 6:05 p.m.,” the team announced Thursday night.
The 2024 total solar eclipse will pass over Mexico, Canada and the United States on Monday with it passing over the New York City area in the afternoon.
According to NASA’s tracker, when the eclipse will pass over will vary, but for New York, the eclipse will start around 2:07 p.m. EDT just as first pitch was originally set to take place. It’ll completely pass through the area closer to 4 p.m.
New York Yankees keep rolling
The Yankees are off to a scorching-hot 6-1 start headed into their weekend series against the Toronto Blue Jays.
It's no surprise that the team is being led by Juan Soto and Aaron Judge. But the Yankees have found an offensive threat in Anthony Volpe. Volpe had his first-career four-hit game against the Diamondbacks on Monday night. Volpe smashed two doubles for the team, helping to ignite the offense.
The Yankees have also had solid pitching so far this season, which has been a key factor in their hot start. The latest strong outing came from Luis Gil, who returned to the Bronx Bombers from having Tommy John surgery. Gil made his first appearance in a league game since 2022.
Soto, meanwhile, has been a revelation. After notching a hit and the game-saving assist from the outfield on Opening Day, the newest Yankees star has been absolutely scorching. Soto is hitting .345 with four RBIs and three runs scored. It's no surprise that Soto is mashing in a contract year that could near Shohei Ohtani's AAV (average annual value).
Soto is reportedly seeking an AAV similar to Ohtani. Ohtani, of course, has deferrals in his deal which means he's only making $2 million per year right now, but Ohtani's contract is essentially valued at $46 million per season.
It is not often that a player hits free agency at such a young age. Stars like Bryce Harper have entered free agency in their mid-20's, but typically players hit the open market around 28 years or older.
But Soto made his MLB debut with the Washington Nationals at 19 years old and will complete his six years before free agency this season.
So, will Soto receive a potentially historic contract?
His career slash line suggests it's a possibility. Soto currently owns a .285/.421/.524/.945 slash line. He's consistently hit during his career and is one of the best at getting on base. In fact, Soto has recorded a .400 or better OBP (on base percentage) in each of his MLB seasons so far.
Considering paying Soto that amount of money is a good problem for the Yankees to have. With his addition, as well as several other key players contributing, New York seems like they're back in a big way.
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