In 1901, the club began play as the Baltimore Orioles (no relation to the modern Baltimore Orioles). The team was later purchased, moved to New York City, and renamed the New York Highlanders. The Highlanders were officially renamed the Yankees in 1913.

After making his MLB debut in 2016 and hitting a home run in his first career at bat, Judge went on to have a record-breaking rookie season in 2017. Judge ended the season with 52 home runs, breaking Mark McGwire's MLB rookie record of 49 and the Yankees' full-season rookie record of 29 (previously held by Joe DiMaggio).

The ballpark's formal name, as painted on its exterior walls, was American League Park--but because the park was located on top of a ridge of Manhattan Island, it came to be known as Hilltop Park. It served as the club's home from 1903 to 1912.

The much-anticipated 1921 World Series featured John McGraw's New York Giants, dedicated practitioners of the dead-ball era's "inside game", and the cross-town rival New York Yankees, who relied on the "power game" exemplified by Babe Ruth. Although the Yankees lost the series, it was a closely contested matchup that ended on a double play featuring a baserunning miscue.

Larsen needed just 97 pitches to complete a perfect game in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers. Only one Dodger batter (Pee Wee Reese in the first inning) was able to get a 3-ball count.

With the score tied 4-4 in the 9th inning of game three, Babe Ruth took strike one from Root. As the Cubs players heckled Ruth, and the fans hurled insults, Ruth held up his hand, pointing at the center-field bleachers. He repeated the gesture after taking strike two. On the next pitch, Ruth hit a home run to center field. This home run, the last of his 41 post-season games, is considered to be one of the greatest at-bats in the history of baseball.

When Mariano Rivera retired after the 2013 MLB season and took his cutter with him, all active players who had been victimized by it rejoiced, knowing they had outlasted a near-unhittable pitch.

Babe Ruth hit his first career home run against the New York Yankees on May 6, 1915. He was later traded to the Yankees for a mere $125,000.

Jeter holds franchise career records for hits (3,465), doubles (544), games played (2,747), stolen bases (358), times on base (4,716), plate appearances (12,602) and at bats (11,195).

The stadium was nicknamed "The House That Ruth Built", due mainly to the fact that Ruth had doubled Yankees' attendance, which helped the team pay for the new stadium.