Aaron Judge showed why he’s the favorite to win this year’s AL MVP award by hitting his 46th and 47th homers of the season in the New York Yankees’ 8-1 win over the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday. Still, Juan Soto’s performance at the plate was just as compelling, and it was enough to catch Judge’s attention.
Soto’s performance in the past two games against the Guardians served as a reminder of just how special a prospect he is in Major League Baseball. Just ask Yankees manager Aaron Boone, who put into perspective the way Soto is only scratching the surface of his potential after Wednesday’s win.
“He’s 25. He’s still in the early stages of his career in many ways,” Boone told reporters after the game. “Which is remarkable for as much experience as he has. This guy is still growing, still learning, still developing.
“I think it wouldn’t hurt to have Aaron [Judge] behind him, but I think that’s just a byproduct of how great of a hitter he is. I don’t think he’s necessarily focused on hitting a certain number of home runs. You see a guy who’s obsessed with hitting well, and he lives that every day.”
In the first of the three-game series against Cleveland, Soto hit a home run to the short porch in right field in his first at-bat. In the Yankees’ win on Wednesday, he hit another home run in his first trip to the plate, this time a two-run, 427-foot shot to deep center field. That home run marked a career-high of 36 for him on the season. He reached his previous career-high of 35 last season with the San Diego Padres.
“I’ve put in a lot of work this year,” Soto told reporters after the game. “I’m more than happy to see the results and everything, and I’m trying to help the team as much as I can.”
While hitting career-high home runs will undoubtedly be a highlight of Soto’s MVP-worthy season, that wasn’t necessarily his goal this year with the Yankees.
“[The goal was] “Definitely be more consistent,” Soto said. “Don’t have as many ups and downs throughout the year. Try to stay on the same page all year long.”
With the bases loaded on Wednesday, Soto hit a double to give him five RBIs on the night, tying his single-game high of the season.
Judge, who is the bookies’ favorite to win his second AL MVP award this year, has matched Soto’s hitting in the last two games. Judge has three home runs in the series, but he says Soto has been a draw for him while he’s in the on-deck circle.
“It’s fun for me because you see the crowd get into it. They’re into every pitch,” Judge said. “He’s fouling off tough pitches. He’s having great at-bats after great at-bats. It’s fun. We’re lucky to have him and we’ve got to keep pushing until the end here.”
After another solid performance from Soto, Judge noted how “consistent” he is in sharing his reasons for admiring the star so much.
“He uses the whole field. It doesn’t matter if it’s two strikes, if it’s the bases loaded, a big spot or just a runner on first base in the first inning. He treats every at-bat the same,” Judge said. “Same intensity, same focus. I think that’s what’s fun to watch — just his level of focus throughout the game and throughout the season.”
Yankees pitcher Nestor Cortes, who had a stellar game himself on Wednesday, throwing seven innings without allowing a run, believes seeing Soto up close gives him a new appreciation for the hitter’s greatness.
“When you watch him from a distance, it’s impressive because you know how good he is. But when you see him here preparing every day, I think that’s what stands out the most, the way he prepares,” Cortes said. “People forget: he’s 25 years old. It’s pretty impressive what he’s doing, what he’s done his whole career, and I’m sure he’s going to do very well in the future.
“But like I said, being 25 years old and being so prepared and just knowing what kind of pitch he likes to hit. It doesn’t matter if it’s left-center, right-center, right field — he’s going to hit the ball hard.”
