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Juan Soto earned his pinstripes last night. With the New York Yankees and the Cleveland Guardians tied in the 10th inning of Game 5 of the ALCS, the 25-year-old sauntered up to the plate. After falling behind 1-2 against Cleveland reliever Hunter Gaddis, the Yankees star fouled off three straight off-speed pitches, nodding his head and staring down the mound after each one.
Then, he made history, unloading on a 95 MPH, chest-high fastball for a three-run home run to send the Yankees to their first World Series in 15 years. After the game, Soto said he never doubted he would come through in the clutch moment.
“I was all over him, I was all over him,” Soto said of the at-bat. “That was the only thing I was thinking. I was just saying to myself, ‘You're all over that guy, you're all over that guy. He ain't got anything.”
Neither did his father.
“I was confident,” Soto's Dad told ESPN's Jorge Castillo. “He was waiting for his pitch because he wasn't going to go with the pitcher's pitch. And like he told me, if he makes a mistake or if he repeats it two times, it's gone. And that's how it went.”
“That's what he does: He performs in the clutch,” he continued. “He works under pressure. And I was completely confident. I knew something was going to happen in that at-bat.”
Yankees GM Brian Cashman will remember Soto's historic moment when he heads to the negotiating table this offseason.
Did Juan Soto secure a historic Yankees contract with clutch home run?
Soto's impending free agency has remained a question mark throughout his brilliant 2024 campaign. After a lengthy World Series drought, Cashman pushed his chips in the middle this offseason, acquiring Soto in a 7-player trade to form the league's most potent offensive duo alongside Aaron Judge.
However, with the slugger in the final year of his contract, Cashman and Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner will have to pony up if they hope to keep him in pinstripes. Like New York fans, it's no secret what Soto's Yankees teammates want.
“Pay my guy! Pay Juan Soto!” Yankees third baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. exclaimed postgame.
Chisholm offered a figure when asked how much.
“700 million!” he quickly responded.
Giancarlo Stanton, who led the Yankees with four home runs during the ALCS, said Soto isn't going anywhere.
“We need him to stay,” Stanton said. “He's going to stay. We need to bring it home, and then we'll bring him home also.”
The Yankees have more business to take care of before discussing contracts. They'll face off with the winner of the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets as they look to secure their first World Series title since 2009.
