Juan Soto isn’t backing down from his decision to join the Mets, while Aaron Judge is standing firm in defense of the Yankees as tension builds between the crosstown rivals.
Soto, who signed a massive 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets this offseason, made it clear why he chose Queens over the Bronx. “I think we have the best chance to win here,” he told The Athletic’s Eno Sarris.
Judge wasn’t having it. “That’s his opinion,” the Yankees’ captain said Monday at spring training. “He can say what he wants. I definitely disagree with him.”
It’s worth remembering these two formed one of baseball’s most feared duos last season, powering the Yankees to a World Series appearance. But Soto’s calculus seems clear – he saw the Mets’ NLCS run without him as proof they were just one superstar away, while the Yankees needed more pieces to get back to October.
The Yankees haven’t exactly stood pat since Soto’s departure. They’ve retooled aggressively, bringing in Max Fried, Paul Goldschmidt, Devin Williams and Cody Bellinger. That’s the kind of roster overhaul that could keep them right in the thick of the American League race.
The Mets, meanwhile, are betting big that Soto’s bat can help them avoid another season where they needed a miracle September surge just to reach the playoffs. They’re clearly all-in on building around their new cornerstone.
What makes this rivalry even more intriguing is that both teams seem convinced they’ve got the winning formula. Judge remains the face of the Yankees – that was never in question. But now there’s an extra edge to the Subway Series, with Soto’s comments adding fuel to an already intense crosstown fire.
