Juan Soto has been the biggest addition for the New York Yankees this winter. Previously, the Bronx Bombers lacked star power in their hitting department. Albeit, Aaron Judge is there for the team as the captain. But it was clearly not enough. Finally, they sealed a deal with the San Diego Padres. As a result, the Dominican superstar will don the Pinstripes jersey for at least a year. But most importantly, the impact of Juan Soto on the team was immense even before he played a game for the franchise.
It is because the Yankees had a terrible offense last year. But agent Scott Boras says Soto is an offense in itself. On top of that, the lineup with Juan Soto and Aaron Judge gives the Yankees Nation a pretty good vibe. Additionally, the lefty Dominican star should use the Yankee Stadium to his full advantage, as the ballpark is ideal for left-handed sluggers. Recently, a former MLB player talked about how Juan Soto might benefit the New York market.
Tony Gwynn Jr. Weighed In On Yankees Landing Juan Soto This Winter
According to Bill Ladson of MLB.com, Gwynn mentioned Soto really turned things on in the 2023 season. Moreover, the Padres radio broadcaster expects the Dominican superstar to blossom with the New York Yankees. There’s no guarantee that Juan Soto will stay with the Yankees next year. But New York should be a good place for the former SD Padres star. Moreover, Gwynn mentioned if Juan Soto stays at his best he will send the ball to the opposite field. However, Gwynn was not very sure about how Trent Grisham would progress with the Bronx. He joined the team with Juan Soto as part of the same deal.
Moreover, Gwynn thinks New York will surely test Grisham with harsh criticism, and it will be interesting to see how he handles the critics there. Trent Grisham is the fourth outfielder for the New York Yankees. But Gwynn feels it is not the same situation for Grisham in the Bronx as for Juan Soto. Last season, Grisham didn’t do as well as he should have. He posted a .198 batting average and 13 homers. It was his second consecutive season with below .200. Anyway, his batting in the last five seasons made a .216 average.
Aaron Judge Alone Could Not Help The Yankees Turn Things Around
The 27-time champions always had multiple stars on their roster. Generally, teams that go on to win a World Series possess multiple stars. But Aaron Judge has genuinely been the only star in the team for so long. However, last year was a wake-up call. The NY side failed to make the postseason. Moreover, they finished with an 82-80 record. It was a shame because the franchise initially thought about reaching the “Big Dance.”
But what changed things was the impact of the captain’s toe injury. Aaron Judge stayed out for a couple of months. Moreover, the rest of the team could not maintain a winning streak. As a result, everything fell apart. Hence, Brian Cashman mentioned that they would add superstar lefty hitters this offseason.
