It's safe to say that the New York Yankees found a gem this past offseason. Right fielder Juan Soto has been everything the team could have hoped for this year and has made his case to earn a king's ransom on a long-term deal this winter.
Soto clobbered three home runs against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday, his first-ever three-homer game, via the MLB.
The 25-year-old now has 33 homers, 88 RBI, and a 1.041 OPS in his first season with New York. He and fellow power-hitting teammate Aaron Judge could make history together, via USA Today's Bob Nightengale.
“Three homers for Juan Soto tonight, giving him 33 for the season,” Nightengale said. “He and Aaron Judge (42 homers) could become the first Yankee teammates to hit 40 or more homers in a season since Roger Maris (61) and Mickey Mantle (54) in 1961.”
Soto's three long balls drove in all four of the Yankees' runs on Tuesday, a day after the White Sox embarrassed them 11-2. Losing two straight to Chicago, the worst team in the league would have been a bad look for a New York squad with championship aspirations.
Does Soto give the Yankees a legitimate chance to win it all?
Juan Soto is one of the few constants the Yankees can rely on
Soto and Judge are the only two New York position players who have avoided a slump over the last few months. Judge had a slow start in April but is now going on a historic tear once again.
While Giancarlo Stanton's return to the lineup gives the squad another power-hitting threat, there will still be pressure on Soto to produce, especially with new acquisition Jazz Chisholm possibly needing UCL surgery. Supporting players like Anthony Volpe, Gleyber Torres, and Alex Verdugo have been up and down at the plate this year.
What's certain, though, is that Soto deserves one of the biggest contracts in baseball history when the offseason begins. Will the Yankees pay up?
Follow Us
Subscribe