The New York Yankees opened their 2025 season with a 4-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday, March 27, at Yankee Stadium, but the pregame performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” by Broadway star Betsy Wolfe stole the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. Wolfe, known for her role as Anne Hathaway in the & Juliet musical, struggled through the anthem, missing several notes and visibly reading the lyrics from her cell phone, sparking a wave of criticism from fans on social media.
The performance, which begins at the 2:30 mark of the YES Network’s broadcast clip, drew immediate backlash. One fan on X wrote, “Wow! How Embarrassing Singing of National Anthem for Opening Day at Yankee Stadium. And she also Needed her Cell Phone to Remember the Words. Really! Is this the Best You Could Get/Afford for Opening Day?” Another added, “What a horrendous version of our NATIONAL ANTHEM. She can memorize her script and songs for Broadway, but can’t remember such an iconic song? Booooo Yankees organization. Do Better.” A third user quipped, “I hate to be mean but if that anthem wasn’t a bad omen I don’t know what it was?” Some called for a U.S. Military Band to perform the anthem at future games, with one fan labeling Wolfe’s extra notes and phone use “disgraceful.”
Not everyone was as harsh. One user noted, “I mean, it was bad, but I have definitely heard worse. Much worse,” pointing to infamous renditions like Carl Lewis’ off-key performance at a 1993 NBA game or Roseanne Barr’s widely panned 1990 version at a Padres game, which then-President George H.W. Bush called “disgraceful.” A quick YouTube search reveals countless anthem mishaps, from forgotten lyrics to vocal trainwrecks, suggesting Wolfe’s performance, while flawed, wasn’t the worst in sports history.
On the field, the Yankees gave fans plenty to cheer about. Carlos Rodón delivered a gem, pitching 5.1 innings with seven strikeouts, allowing just one earned run on three hits. Austin Wells and Anthony Volpe provided the power, each hitting a home run—Wells with a two-run shot in the third and Volpe with a solo blast in the fifth—while Gleyber Torres added an RBI single. The Brewers’ Freddy Peralta took the loss, giving up three runs over 5.0 innings. New York’s bullpen, led by Tim Hill and Tommy Pham, held firm, with Clay Holmes securing the save despite a late Brewers rally.
The Yankees, coming off a 2024 World Series loss to the Dodgers and the departure of Juan Soto to the Mets, are looking to new additions like Max Fried, Cody Bellinger, and Paul Goldschmidt to fuel a championship run. Fried will make his Yankees debut on Saturday at 1:05 p.m. EST, facing off against Nestor Cortés, who was traded to the Brewers in the Devin Williams deal this offseason. After an off day Friday, the series resumes with both teams aiming to set the tone for 2025. Wolfe’s anthem may have struck a sour note, but the Yankees’ performance ensured their season started on a high one.
