New York earthquake: Yankees home opener is set to go ahead as planned after the Bronx was shaken by a 4.8-magnitude quake

A 4.7-magnitude earthquake apparently won't stop the New York Yankees from playing their home opener against the visiting Toronto Blue Jays on Friday afternoon.  

As the scheduled 1pm first pitch approached, there was no suggestion the game would be impacted by the rare East Coast tremor, which was felt from Eastern Pennsylvania to Western Connecticut. Yankees spokespeople did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com's request for confirmation, but the 6-1 Bronx Bombers have not issued any change to Friday's schedule.

The game marks slugger Juan Soto's first appearance with the Yankees in the Bronx after the right fielder was acquired in an offseason trade with the San Diego Padres.

According to the Bergen Record's Pete Caldera, everyone at Yankee Stadium 'certainly felt the ground shaking' although batting practice continued without interruption. 

Fans and media naturally made a connection between Soto's arrival and Friday's earthquake.

Yankee Stadium (pictured here in 2023) will host Friday's home opener against the Blue Jays

The US Geological Survey reported the quake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.7

'Juan Soto is about to experience his Bronx debut in pinstripes and there's an earthquake at Yankee Stadium,' MLB.com's Bryan Hoch wrote on X. 'Can't be a coincidence.'

One Yankees supporter photoshopped Soto's wide batting stance across a crumbling fault line in a post on X, while another suggested the earthquake was 'the entire state of New Jersey heading to the Bronx.'

Through seven games, Soto has a .345 average, a home run and four RBIs for the Yankees. 

The US Geological Survey reported the quake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.7, centered near Lebanon, New Jersey, or about 45 miles west of New York City and 50 miles north of Philadelphia. The Fire Department of New York said there were no initial reports of damage.

In midtown Manhattan, the usual cacophony of traffic grew louder as motorists blared their horns on momentarily shuddering streets. Some Brooklyn residents heard a booming sound and their building shaking. In an apartment house in Manhattan's East Village, a resident from more earthquake-prone California calmed nervous neighbors.

People in Baltimore, Philadelphia, Connecticut and other areas of the East Coast unaccustomed to earthquakes also reported feeling the ground shake.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul posted on X that the quake was felt throughout the state. 'My team is assessing impacts and any damage that may have occurred, and we will update the public throughout the day,' Hochul said.

Yankees fans naturally made a connection between Juan Soto's arrival and Friday's earthquake

Of course Friday's earthquake on the East Coast was significantly less powerful than the 6.9 quake that rocked the Bay Area during the 1989 World Series, resulting in the postponement of one game, 63 deaths and 3,757 injuries.

While Friday's game remains on schedule, Monday's has been rescheduled due to another act of God – the solar eclipse.

New York was initially set to host the Marlins at 2:05pm but he start was pushed back four hours.

'After reconsidering the challenges of playing through Monday's solar eclipse, including potential in-game delays, Major League Baseball and the Yankees have rescheduled the start time of the Yankees-Marlins game on April 8 at Yankee Stadium from 2:05pm to 6:05pm,' the team said in a statement Thursday.

Ballpark gates will open at 3pm. As previously planned, the first 15,000 fans to arrive will receive a Yankees Solar Eclipse T-Shirt, the club said.