In Mexico City, just a few hours before the Yankees and the Diablos Rojos del Mexico faced off in a thrilling exhibition game on Sunday, Aaron Boone, the Yankees’ manager, found himself explaining why the team didn’t bring all its star players. The lineup for the game did include notable names like Giancarlo Stanton, Anthony Volpe, Jose Trevino, and Oswaldo Cabrera, alongside relievers Victor Gonzalez and Jonathan Loaisiga.
However, key players such as Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, Alex Verdugo, and the entire starting rotation remained in Tampa, finalizing their preparations for the upcoming season during spring training.
Despite the absence of these stars, the atmosphere within Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú reached electrifying levels even before the game began. The Diablos Rojos clinched a 4-3 victory over the Yankees in what turned into a three-hour celebration, complete with continuous chants, horns, music, and the enthusiasm of a sellout crowd of 20,735 fans. This vibrant atmosphere far surpassed anything the Yankees might have encountered in the Grapefruit League.
“The atmosphere exceeded everything [I expected],” remarked Volpe post-game. Stanton, known for his love of travel and who had previously experienced the “insane” atmosphere of a Bad Bunny concert in Mexico City, echoed Volpe’s sentiments, describing the experience as “pretty awesome.”
This marked the Yankees’ first appearance in Mexico since 1968, a time when a Mickey Mantle-led team took on the Diablos Rojos. Despite the timing being less than ideal, so close to Opening Day, those who made the trip cherished the unique environment, even as they adjusted to the high altitude’s effects on gameplay.
“What a great experience,” Boone reflected on the game. “So much energy, so much fun for us to all experience baseball in this environment.” Trevino shared this enthusiasm, noting that the game felt more significant than a typical spring training matchup.
The game also saw Trevor Bauer, who hasn’t pitched in MLB since serving a 194-game suspension, take the mound for the Diablos Rojos and deliver three scoreless innings. However, the spotlight quickly shifted to Robinson Cano, the former Yankees second baseman, who dazzled with a 3-for-4 performance, including a home run and two RBIs with his new team. The 41-year-old Cano, who hasn’t appeared in the majors since 2022 following a suspension, spent much of the pregame reminiscing with Yankees personnel and catching the ceremonial first pitch from former teammate Mariano Rivera.
Cano’s motivation for continuing to play is simple: “Because I love baseball,” he stated. “People don’t understand that sometimes. It’s easy to tell someone, ‘Just go retire.’ But I think as long as I can do it and I can play and I can be on the field, I can do it.”
As for Bauer, facing the Yankees influenced his decision to sign with the Diablos Rojos, where he will pitch for at least the next month. Despite offering to return to MLB for the league minimum, Bauer has yet to find a team willing to take him on. “I have no idea what the future is going to hold,” Bauer said, expressing his love for the game and his openness to playing internationally or returning to the major leagues.