It’s reasonable to assume that the New York Yankees uncovered a treasure over the previous offseason. Juan Soto, the team’s right fielder, has been fantastic all season and has proven himself worthy of a monster contract offer this winter.
In Tuesday’s game against the Chicago White Sox, Soto blasted his first career three-home run, according to MLB.
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JUAN SOTO'S FIRST CAREER 3-HOME RUN GAME! 😤 pic.twitter.com/x6Uepb9Qbm
— MLB (@MLB) August 14, 2024
The 25-year-old currently has 33 homers, 88 RBI, and a 1.041 OPS in his first season with New York. According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, he and fellow power-hitter Aaron Judge have the potential to create history together.
“Juan Soto hit three home runs tonight, bringing his season total to 33,” Nightengale announced. “He and Aaron Judge (42 homers) could become the first Yankee teammates to hit 40 or more homers in a season since Roger Maris (61) and Mickey Mantle (54) in 1961.”
Soto’s three long balls drove in all four of the Yankees’ runs on Tuesday, a day after the White Sox embarrassed them 11-2. Losing two straight to Chicago, the weakest team in the league would have been a bad look for a New York group with championship hopes.
Does Soto give the Yankees a legitimate shot to win it all?
Juan Soto is one of the few constants the Yankees can rely on New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto (22) celebrates win against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.
Soto and Judge are the only two New York position players who have avoided a downturn during the last few months. Judge had a rough start in April but is currently going on a historic tear once again.
While Giancarlo Stanton’s return to the lineup offers the squad another power-hitting threat, there will still be pressure on Soto to deliver, especially with new signing Jazz Chisholm possibly needing UCL surgery. Supporting players like Anthony Volpe, Gleyber Torres, and Alex Verdugo have been up and down at the plate this year.
What’s certain, though, is that Soto deserves one of the richest contracts in baseball history when the offseason comes. Will the Yankees pay up?
