The New York Yankees are a team that is currently stuck in no man's land and going nowhere fast. They can’t decide whether they are a team of older power hitters that strike out too much, or younger prospects that haven’t put it all together. Every player has at least one glaring red flag, including Aaron Judge if you count health. Judge is the team’s only true superstar, and this must change. The team needs at least one more unquestionably elite hitter, and San Diego Padres outfielder Juan Soto checks this box without a doubt.
Juan Soto is elite at getting on base and combines that with potent power
Soto can get on base in many different ways. He hits for a decent batting average (especially given this era of lower averages across the board) and has shown the ability to hit for an elite average when in top form.
Soto’s batting eye may be his best skill, which is saying something given what a talented player he is. The Yankees desperately need to create more traffic on the bases, and this is an area in which Soto will help immensely.
With a career .284 batting average, more career walks than strikeouts, and 160 career home runs, Soto is on a Hall of Fame pace, a near surefire lock if he continues his current trajectory.
Soto will get on base consistently and move runners ahead for this Yankees team.
Juan Soto is a left-handed hitter
The Yankees currently feature a highly unbalanced offense. Their only left-handed hitters are Anthony Rizzo who is coming off of a serious head injury, Austin Wells who will need more time to prove himself in the big leagues, and Jasson Dominguez, a switch-hitter who has only played eight professional games and recently underwent Tommy John surgery.
Soto would bring balance to the lineup and create a potent one-two punch with Aaron Judge.
Soto is young and durable
Arguably the two biggest flaws in this Yankees roster (and certainly the most visible) are age and durability. Giancarlo Stanton, DJ LeMahieu, and Anthony Rizzo are all on the wrong side of 30, and while he is still a superstar in his prime, even Judge is starting to get up there in age. All of these players have also faced significant injury concerns in recent years that have caused them to miss significant time and affected their performance when they were on the field.
Having just turned 25 years of age and with a relatively clean injury history, Juan Soto fixes a lot of these problems. He represents a talented, reliable player who checks multiple boxes for this team.
The Yankees need a plug-and-play superstar
To borrow a bit of NFL draft parlance, the Yankees need a plug-and-play superstar. There have been too many trades that have worked out poorly or free-agent signings that have proven to be bad investments.
The Yankees definitely need an acquisition to work out to acquire a clear-cut offensive star.
Soto would fit perfectly alongside Aaron Judge
The Yankees have one superstar in Aaron Judge, and that is more than many teams can say. However, to be a true contender you need at least two star players. It is currently too easy for teams to just pitch around Judge. If there is nobody on base ahead of him and you don't fear the hitters behind him, it's very easy to just put him on first base.
If Soto is batting ahead of Judge, however, and hits a single or works a walk to get on first base it makes it a lot harder to put Judge on also. that is because doing so would force Soto into scoring position.
Conversely, if Soto is hitting behind Judge that also gives Judge protection because putting him on first base allows Soto to do more damage with his power. Judge runs well for a guy with his height and weight, and could reliably score from first base on a ball hit into the gaps.
Soto has sneaky good power, and could plausibly hit 40 or even 45 home runs in a good season, thanks to his pure left-handed swing that is tailored for the short porch in right field at Yankee Stadium.
A left-handed power hitter is key to successful Yankee rosters
A left-handed or switch-hitting power hitter has been a key element of almost every Yankee team that has won championships, and Soto would fill this requirement. Along with the potential development of Wells and the continued ascension of The Martian after his return from injury, the Yankees will go from being a highly unbalanced team with too many right-handed hitters to a well-balanced roster that will strike fear into any opposing pitching staff.
The bottom line
The bottom line is that Juan Soto fits this Yankee roster like a glove and fulfills many of the team’s needs. The Yankees should absolutely negotiate in genuine good faith and do everything in their power to pull off a trade for Soto heading into the 2024 MLB season.
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