CHICAGO — Shortly after Juan Soto grounded out in his first at-bat on Tuesday night, Aaron Judge saw the slugger take about 20 dry swings in the Yankees’ dugout.
“He threw me a pitch that I should hammer, and I just rolled it over,” Soto said, referring to White Sox starter Jonathan Cannon while explaining his thought process. “So I went back to my routine and started thinking about what I’d do to help my swing and to be accurate.”
Soto went on to hit two opposite field home runs off Cannon in his next two at-bats. That led to Judge busting his fellow outfielder’s chops when the two were playing defense.
“’That’s all it takes?’” Judge asked. “Then he did it a third time.”
Indeed, Soto recorded the first three-homer game of his career in the Yankees’ 4-1 win, adding a solo shot off White Sox reliever Fraser Ellard in the seventh inning.
JUAN SOTO’S FIRST CAREER 3-HOME RUN GAME! 😤 pic.twitter.com/x6Uepb9Qbm
— MLB (@MLB) August 14, 2024
Soto’s first home run came with a man on in the third frame. The bases were empty for his 416-foot blast, his longest of the night, in the fifth.
“It means a lot,” Soto said of his feat. “It’s really fun. Definitely. It’s really cool to see it, and even better to get the win out of that.”
Soto tried adding to his power display as he clearly swung for the fences on a 3-0 count in his final plate appearance. He ultimately drew a walk, which impressed his manager.
“That’s the beauty of him,” Aaron Boone said. “Most of us would be up there having an out of body experience trying to go for four. He took one shot on 3-0 where they threw him a slider and moved him off, but he just locked right back in. He has such an ability to control the strike zone that he’s unfazed.”
With the 23rd multi-homer game of his career in the books, Soto now has 33 longballs this season. He should easily surpass his career-high of 35 before entering free agency as a 26-year-old.
Soto is also hitting .306/.434/.608 with 86 RBI and a 192 wRC+.
“I dream of being where he’s at in the batter’s box,” Boone said through laughter. “It’s about as good as it gets.”
Judge, meanwhile, called Soto “the greatest hitter in the game” on Tuesday.
That led to a playful disagreement between the two superstars.
“I call him the greatest hitter in the world,” said Soto, who has benefitted from Judge’s protection all season. “Look at his numbers. He’s just unbelievable. He makes my job easier. He makes my plate appearances a little bit better. When you hit in front of a guy like that, you know you’re getting pitches, so he’s the greatest one.”
Like Soto, Judge is also enjoying an MVP-caliber season. The captain has positioned himself as the frontrunner for the American League’s award, leading the majors with 42 home runs, 107 RBI, a .466 on-base percentage, a .699 slugging percentage and a 219 wRC+.
Judge’s .332 average ranks second, trailing only Bobby Witt Jr.’s mark of .347.
“We just come in here and try to do our jobs at the end of the day,” Soto said of himself and Judge. “It’s really impressive what we’ve been doing, but at the end of the day, we forget about what we’ve done in the past. We try to come every day, try to focus on that day and try to win games.
“We come here every day hungry for more.”
With Judge outperforming Soto while both enjoy sensational seasons, Boone was asked if the career Yankee has overshadowed the newcomer.
The manager wasn’t quite sure, as the duo has been spectacular all year. So spectacular, in fact, that they’re both having two of the 18 best seasons in Yankees history in terms of wRC+. The only other names on that list are Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle and Lou Gehrig.
“I don’t know, because I feel like in watching Juan, I’m watching one of the best seasons I’ve ever seen, too,” Boone said. “And then I get to watch Aaron right behind him. So I try not to take for granted and try to appreciate what you’re seeing with both of those guys. Because I don’t know if it’s overshadowing or not. I just know that is one tough at-bat every single day.
“I can’t imagine a tandem being more dominant than they’ve been all season long.”
While Judge’s numbers may be more ridiculous than Soto’s, he said that he’s been learning from his new teammate since the spring. So have other Yankees, who have been wowed by Soto’s work ethic.
“Watching him do his stuff day to day and being 25 years old, I mean, I can’t imagine myself doing what he does at 25,” Nestor Cortes said. “And I’m sure a lot of guys in this clubhouse could say the same.
“He knows he’s good, but I think the preparation is what goes over the top for me.”
A lot of Yankees made similar observations during the spring. Judge claimed that, back in camp, there were “40 guys lining up every time [Soto] was hitting in the cage.” Their hope was to pick his brain.
“I love a lot of things he does with his swing, and now, getting a chance to be up close and personal, you get a chance to ask some questions,” Judge said. “If I can take one little thing that he does and add to my game to make myself better, that’s what it’s all about.”
In the Yankees’ perfect world, Judge and Soto will continue playing together and bettering one another for the foreseeable future.
Of course, doing so will require a sizable financial commitment, perhaps even a record-breaking one. Soto is all but a lock to make over $500 million this offseason, when he will decide where he’ll likely spend the rest of his career.
The Yankees, including Hal Steinbrenner, have already signaled their intention to retain Soto. But they’ll surely have competition, just as they did when Judge hit free agency two winters ago.
Time will tell where Soto ends up long-term. For now, however, the Yankees are reaping the benefits of a blockbuster trade that saw them send five players to San Diego in December.
“We went and got him and paid a big price to bring him here because we know what a special, special player that he is,” Boone said. “We’ve seen every bit of that and probably more.”
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