Aaron Judge isn’t interested in stirring the pot.
The Yankees slugger recently heard Juan Soto’s comments about his new situation with the Mets, but Judge – true to his 6-foot-7 stature in the clubhouse – took the high road rather than creating headlines.
Soto had said: “It’s definitely different. I had the best hitter in baseball hitting behind me. I was getting more attacked and more pitches in the strike zone, less intentional walks and things like that. I was pitched differently last year.”
Some interpreted this as Soto taking a shot at his new Mets teammates, but Judge immediately dismissed that narrative.
“He’s got probably one of the best hitters in the game behind him right now with what Pete Alonso is doing. It’s been fun to watch,” Judge said. “He’s hitting [.345] and driving the ball all over the field, driving guys in. So they’re going to be just fine.”
Judge didn’t stop there, offering some perspective to his former teammate who’s batting below his usual standards in the early going.
“I’ve seen Soto now watching the league for so many years,” Judge said, “and getting a chance to see him up close — he can look at what I did last April for an example of, he just needs to keep being himself. He’s going to be just fine.”
The numbers tell part of the story. Judge has already launched six homers while Soto has connected for just two with his new club.
The Yankees certainly wanted to retain Soto after trading for him last season, but the Mets’ $765 million offer proved too substantial to pass up.
“You can’t replace a guy like Soto. He’s 1 of 1,” Judge acknowledged. “That’s why he signed the deal he did.”
So much for any off-field drama between the two stars. But on the field? The competition between New York’s premier hitters is just getting started, with the Subway Series matchups looming later this season.
