This story was excerpted from Bryan Hoch’s Yankees Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
Juan Soto projects to add power and patience to the Yankees’ lineup this coming season, a much-needed upgrade for a roster that struggled mightily to put crooked numbers on the scoreboard. No one may benefit from Soto’s arrival more than Aaron Judge.
With Soto on board, Judge projects to have a dangerous protector within manager Aaron Boone’s batting order. Boone hasn’t yet detailed his plans -- he deftly sidestepped that topic at the Winter Meetings before the Soto acquisition was official -- but it’s a safe bet that the Yanks’ Opening Day lineup could have Judge batting second and Soto in the three hole.
“Man, it’s going to be amazing,” Soto said. “It’s going to be really fun. I’m going to be more than excited to share the field with him. He seems like a great guy. He was one of the guys that reached out to me whenever I got traded. It’s going to be really fun to see him hitting and play the outfield. I’ll try to pick his mind when I’m there and try to enjoy the moment while I’m there.”
Right-hander Gerrit Cole, infielder Gleyber Torres and first baseman Anthony Rizzo also offered warm embraces to the 25-year-old Soto, who was acquired from the Padres in a seven-player deal last week.
“I’m excited. We gave up quite a few pieces to get him, but he’s a generational talent,” Judge said on FOX 5 New York. “His track record, his stats speak for themselves. I think everybody in the Yankee universe is pretty excited to have him on board.”
The left-handed Soto provides desperately needed balance for the Bombers, a team that ranked 29th in the Majors in plate appearances by lefty batters last season.
That shouldn’t be the case in 2024. With Soto, Rizzo, outfielder Alex Verdugo, catcher Austin Wells and outfielder Trent Grisham projected to be part of the mix, the Yankees figure to have a lineup constructed to take advantage of Yankee Stadium’s short right-field porch.
“It’s a great ballpark; it’s a great batter’s box,” Soto said. “I’m not going to lie, it feels great to stand up there. I feel comfortable to be there. I get the chance to get really good pitches in the strike zone and do damage. I just try to do my job, try to concentrate and try to put the ball in play.
“It just happens; I don’t even try to hit a home run. I just try to hit low line drives to the middle.”
While the Yankees look to cleanse any lingering disappointments from an 82-win season that ended without a postseason entry, Soto expects to return to the playoffs after his Padres were also left on the outside looking in this past season.
Having won a World Series ring with the Nationals in 2019 and played in the National League Championship Series with San Diego in 2022, Soto believes he can help keep the lights on at Yankee Stadium deep into October.
“It’s the same mind-set, and it’s been that way since 2018, when I got to the league -- winning,” Soto said. “That’s all I care about. I come to the field thinking about winning every day. That’s what I want to do. I got a little taste of it in 2019, winning the World Series and everything. It was a great feeling, and I want to try to do it again.”
Speaking from Miami, Soto fielded numerous topics during his introductory Zoom call with the New York media, including inquiries about his contract status. Soto, who reportedly once turned down a 15-year, $440 million extension offer from Washington, is eligible for free agency after the 2024 season.
He said the Yankees “know where to call and who to talk to” about a potential extension. In case they needed a reminder, though, agent Scott Boras also logged into the Zoom conference from his offices in Newport Beach, Calif.
Soto said he doesn’t expect tuning out noise about his future to be an issue.
“I’ve been doing that for six years, so I think it’s not going to be that hard,” Soto said. “I have one of the best agents in the league, so I think I’ll put everything on him and let him do his magic. For me, like I’ve said, my mind-set is just coming here to play baseball and trying to win a championship.”