There were no tickets available for Sunday’s power vs. power showdown of Aaron Judge against Gerrit Cole, because none were sold. With the Yankees stars under long-term contracts and expected to play the rest of their careers in pinstripes,

Judge took Cole deep for one of his patented left-field home runs, according to Hoch. The Yankees play the Boston Red Sox on Monday afternoon but neither veteran will be in the lineup. Cole is not expected to pitch until the next turn in the rotation. And Judge won't play until March 1.

TAMPA — Gerrit Cole proudly rocked an iconic beard back in the day with the Astros, but that was before he signed a nine-year, $324 million contract with the Yankees in 2020. That was good news for Cole’s bank account, but his beard was an immediate casualty of the Yankees’ long-standing policy limiting facial hair.

Two stalwarts of the Yankees were up against each on opposite sides of the plate. Before the Yankees' spring training game on Sunday, former Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole faced some of the best hitters, including Aaron Judge, in a live batting session.

Gleyber Torres, who signed with the Detroit Tigers in the offseason after seven seasons with the Yankees, told reporters Friday that he was surprised by the decision but understood that a number of players still with the team would like to grow out their facial hair more than what was previously allowed.

Aaron Boone went from having to police stubble to having to determine what qualifies as a “well-groomed” beard.

Cole, who signed a record-setting nine-year, $324 million contract before the 2020 season, opted out of the final four years and $144 million left on his deal on Nov. 2. The Yankees had the ability to void that opt-out by adding an additional year and $36 million to Cole’s pact, but they decided against that.

While Cole praised his fellow Boras Corp. client, he also spoke highly of the Yankees' offseason moves following Soto's departure.