Juan Soto’s stay with the New York Yankees could very well end up being as short as one year, but he’s going to do his best to revel in the atmosphere that the Bronx provides.
“It’s going to be electric, it’s going to be fun,” Soto said on Monday down in Tampa (h/t YES Network). “There’s a Latin community [in the Bronx] and it’s going to be really exciting. It’s going to feel like home.”
Preparing for what will already be his seventh MLB season, Soto is still one of the premier young hitters in baseball at just 25 years old where the lefty is projected to take full advantage of the hitter-friendly Yankee Stadium.
He owns a career .284/.421/.524 slash line (.946 OPS) with 162-game averages of 33 home runs and 100 RBI. Since his debut in 2018, his OPS ranks fourth in all of baseball behind only Mike Trout, Yordan Alvarez, and his new teammate, Aaron Judge, while his on-base percentage ranks No. 1.
His acquisition from the San Diego Padres this winter suddenly creates one of the most imposing 1-2 punches in baseball alongside Judge — the duo is set to inhabit the No. 2 and 3 spots in the Yankees order.
“It can be a really fun [partnership],” Soto said of playing alongside Judge. “Whatever we have is going to be fun. We both know the strike zone pretty well. It’s going to be two walks or two gappers, but it’s going to be fun. If I’m hitting in front of him, I’ll try to be on base as much as I can.
“He’s a power guy, he’s been doing this thing for a long time. I can pick up a couple things and even from Yankee Stadium, where the ball is going to carry more, and see where we can hit the ball better and take our advantage.”
Such hypotheticals and prospects are making the 2024 season all the more alluring for the Yankees, who are looking to break one of the longest championship droughts in franchise history. But the reality is that Soto is only secure in Pinstripes for one year — his contract expires at the end of 2024 before hitting free agency.
He’s in line for a deserved major (and astronomical) payday and with super agent Scott Boras, who more often than not advises his clients to hit the open market rather than hammer out extensions at their current clubs, it’s more likely than not that he’ll test free agency.
“I let Scott do his thing,” Soto said, which was eerily similar to his sentiments during his introductory press conference in December. “We’ve been talking throughout this offseason and everything… I’m just focusing on ’24. I’m here to play baseball. I’m focusing on playing this year… and bringing a championship to New York.
“I have a lot of trust in him and what he’s going to do about it. That’s one of the biggest things I have — I trust him so much that I forget about that.”
