It’s been an exciting last 24 hours in the music world, as Taylor Swift released her new album, “The Tortured Poets Department.” The album has 31 songs, is over two hours long, and has sent the internet into quite the frenzy — as her album releases usually do.
Swift’s album has also made shockwaves throughout the sports world, and probably even more so this year than in years past due to her relationship with Kansas City Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce. Swift became a huge fan of the Chiefs and the NFL this past year, and many of her songs had references to the sports world.
Ashok Kumar/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management
It appears Kelce isn’t the only “Swiftie” in the sports world, though, as on Friday, New York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo showed up to Yankee Stadium repping Swift. Rizzo wore a hoodie with a collage of Swift on it ahead of the Yankees’ Friday night game against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Take a look for yourself:
The Yankees are off to a strong start this season at 13-6, tied with the Cleveland Guardians for the best record in the American League. Their hot start earned them the No. 1 spot in the most recent edition of the Newsweek MLB Power Rankings.
Superstar offseason acquisition Juan Soto has lived up to the hype, making history in his first 19 games as a Yankee. The Yankees have also enjoyed a great start from young shortstop Anthony Volpe, and a breakout start to the year from the power-hitting Giancarlo Stanton, who already has five home runs to lead the team. As for Rizzo, he’s slashing .240/.313/.307 with one home run and seven RBIs through the first 19 games of the season.
The pitching side of things is where the Yankees have thrived, as they have the third-best ERA in baseball at 3.11 and have allowed opposing hitters to hit just .221, which is also third-best in the league. Offseason acquisition Marcus Stroman is leading the way in the rotation with a 2.42 ERA in 22.1 innings, and Carlos Rodón has enjoyed a solid bounce-back campaign, sporting a 3.66 ERA in 19.2 innings.
As for the bullpen, the Yankees have a combined ERA of 2.63, which is fourth-best in Major League Baseball entering Friday.
The Yankees are off to a great start after underperforming in 2023 and missing the postseason. They’re also doing this all without the ace of their staff, Gerrit Cole, who’s hopeful to return in the coming months.
The way things have looked for the Yankees so far, it’s shaping up to not be such a Cruel Summer.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.