A 25-year-old Juan Soto of Yankees has got the MLB fraternity hooked with his impeccable talent and raw power on the plate. In these past six years, Soto achieved numerous milestones, which many players took a lifetime to attain. His numbers and awards underscore the slugger’s distinct prowess. But this year, Soto will play in New York.
Juan Soto was traded to the Bronx this off-season in a blockbuster trade heist. While the three-time All-Star slugger is only on a one-year rental deal, the Yankees aim to maximize his talent in the 2024 season. That being said, ahead of the pivotal season, MLB.com issued a bold prediction on Soto’s metrics for this year, which should further boost the Yank’s morale.
Juan Soto Expected To Lead MLB In OPS This Season!
With Juan Soto’s addition, the New York Yankees championship-winning odds have skyrocketed in the latest PECOTA rankings. Undoubtedly, Soto’s offensive production will either make or break the Bronx Bombers 2024 season. Having said that, ahead of spring training, Mandy Randhawa of MLB.com made bold projections on leaders of various statical categories. For the OPS, Randhawa expected Juan Soto to lead not just the American League but the entire Major League Baseball. Historically, Soto already has an OPS record to his name. In 2020, he finished the season with .351/.490/.695 slash line and 1.185 OPS, which is the highest single-season metric among all active players.
Not only that, the record OPS placed Juan Soto at No. 46 on the all-time list. Notably, the slugger is coming off a .930 OPS season with the San Diego Padres in the 2023 MLB season. Thus, it won’t come as a shock to many of Soto, who end up posting the highest OPS this season amongst active sluggers. However, besides Shohei Ohtani, his biggest competition will be his own teammate and captain Aaron Judge. Judge is also coming off a strong season despite an injury layoff. He scored 37 homers in a mere 106 appearances. Regardless, the team’s success matters the most at the end of the day. The Yankees need both of their formidable sluggers to fire with the bat in order to ensure a deep postseason run. As they say, pressure reveals a player’s true character; the 2024 season will test Judge and Soto’s character as a pro athlete in the literal sense.
Josh Hader Reckons Yankees Never Came Up With An Offer!
The most sought-after reliever of this off-season, Josh Hader, was a hot pick before the Houston Astros landed him in a record five-year $95 million deal. While the New York Yankees were an ideal fit for Hader, the pitcher revealed that they never came up with an actual offer. “I’d say the Yankees were talking, it just never came through,” Hader said.
Notably, Josh Hader implied that he wanted to sign with a championship-contending team. And considered the Bronx Bombers as an ideal fit. However, the front office didn’t really push through. On the contrary, Houston Astros showed strong interest, and the money was enough for him to take the plunge.
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