Juan Soto was the most significant addition to the New York Yankees in the offseason. Last year was horrible, as the NY side had the second-worst batting average in the league. The offense really let the Bronx Bomber down in 2023. They had one of the best hitters in baseball, as in their captain. However, Aaron Judge could not play many games last year due to a torn ligament in his toe. He had a freak accident at the Los Angeles Dodgers fence. As a result, the American League 2022 MVP had to sit out for two months. In the meantime, the Yankees kept having more injury issues, with Anthony Rizzo and Jasson Dominguez all on the Injured List, irrespective of veteran players and the youth.
That really weakened their offense. Finally, the NY side finished as the fourth seed in the AL East in 2023. It was a tremendous shame for the 27-time champions. Later, in the offseason, they made significant changes. Moreover, the addition of Juan Soto raised hopes for the fans. However, it seems the Dominican superstar won’t stay with the Yankees for the long haul. Lately, Brandon Tierney, host of CBS Sports Radio, pointed at Judge’s health as the key to keeping Soto in the Bronx for a long-term deal.
How Can Aaron Judge Play A Key Role In The Extension Of Soto’s Contract?
Initially, the Emmy Award-winning sports commentator believed the Yankees could extend Juan Soto’s contract successfully. However, ever since Aaron Judge stopped playing in the current spring training due to an abs injury, BT has started to worry about the worst. Moreover, the host of CBS Sports Radio mentioned if Juan Soto gets Aaron Judge to play 147 or 151 games in the season, hitting behind him, he won’t leave the Bronx. BT believes the Dominican superstar won’t find that comfort anywhere else in the league. It is about getting fed fastballs, and then Soto will rake and win.
Eventually, he will love it with the Yankees. However, if Aaron Judge remains injury-prone throughout the season, it won’t impress the best hitter in baseball. BT said if the Yankees captain is intermittently on the Injured List for 10 days or even 15 days here and there, Soto will slowly get the taste of what it’s like to bat for the NY side without Judge as a protection. Moreover, BT doesn’t think it would be very appealing for Juan Soto. In short, BT says, “If Aaron Judge doesn’t stay fit, Juan Soto will be packing next winter.”
How Far Can Juan Soto Go With The Yankees In 2024?
In the end, it comes down to the injuries for the Yankees. Otherwise, the NY side never looked bad on paper in the last few years. Moreover, the combination of Juan Soto and Aaron Judge might just be the deadliest offensive combo in the league. The Dominican superstar is having a pretty good spring training with the NY side. On the other hand, Aaron Judge sustained a stomach injury a few weeks ago. Since then, he stopped playing in the Grapefruit League games.
Later, he mentioned that he is gearing up for the Opening Day. If things don’t turn too bad for the Yankees, they can actually win the World Series for the 28th time in 2024. They have the talent in their squad. But superstars like Judge, Soto, and Gerrit Cole must stay strong mentally and physically throughout the season. Cole is their biggest pillar in the defense. The Yankees Faithful will hope Cole doesn’t suffer further injuries when he returns in one to two months.
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