Who's better than Yankees' Juan Soto? No one right now
Yankees' Juan Soto celebrates after hitting a single against the Houston Astros during the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, March 31, 2024, in Houston. Credit: AP/Kevin M. Cox
HOUSTON
Ninety-nine times out of 100, it’s a ridiculous question, a scenario that wouldn’t even merit a second thought.
But with two outs in the ninth inning on Sunday, a series sweep at stake, the go-ahead run in scoring position and a summer sidewalk-hot Juan Soto at the plate? This was the exception for the Astros. The outlier of all outliers.
Let Josh Hader, one of the game’s nastiest closers, pitch to Soto after Gleyber Torres easily stole second, leaving first base open? Or flash the four fingers, put Soto on and allow Hader to take his chances with Aaron Judge, who doesn’t seem quite himself after dealing with an abdominal-muscle issue for the last two weeks of spring training?
Choosing between Soto and Judge feels like no choice at all. Just different tracks into an oncoming train. And for Astros rookie manager Joe Espada, a former Yankees bench coach under Joe Girardi, the idea of humbling Hader, his brand-new closer, in that situation was a bridge too far.
So Sunday’s ninth inning went the way this entire Houston series did for the Yankees, with every bounce going their way, every key hit finding a hole and Soto right there to deliver the dagger. As Judge watched from the on-deck circle, Soto battled Hader to a full count, then smacked a 96-mph sinker into leftfield for a single to give the Yankees a 4-3 victory and complete a soul-crushing four-game sweep of their hated nemesis.
So what did Judge think? Did the former MVP even consider the Astros might take a pass on Soto to face the Yankees’ $360 million slugger?
As far-fetched as the question seemed, that’s just how dangerous Soto is right now. Putting on the Yankees’ road grays has been akin to Superman donning his cape.
“I don’t know,” Judge said, smiling at the idea. “I don’t see why you would ever want to pitch to that guy. But that’s where we got the guys behind him to make sure they have to pitch to him.”
And as long as Soto keeps getting pitches, that’s going to be very bad news for opposing teams.
The Astros were the first to experience the pinstriped version of the Juan Soto Effect this season. It did not go well for them. Soto ripped them at a .529 clip (9-for-17) with a double, homer and 1.365 OPS. He twice drove in what proved to be the game-winning run with a homer and a single and also drew a bases-loaded walk to push in the go-ahead run Friday night.
Whatever your opinion of the Yankees’ winter upgrades, especially their reluctance to spend wildly in the free-agent market, it’s obvious now that the December trade for Soto could be bigger than anyone had imagined. Even for him.
“That’s the kind of start I wanted,” he said, laughing. “I grinded really hard this offseason and spring training to be successful at the beginning of this season. Thank God it’s happening my way.”
As Soto spoke at his locker, his left ankle was heavily wrapped for the flight to Phoenix, no doubt part of the treatment after he twisted it on Opening Day. Luckily, for once, the Yankees caught a break with that (or non-break, in Soto’s case). But their streak of good fortune didn’t stop with his breakout performance.
Take Sunday’s sweep-clinching finale. The Yankees’ first run came after Giancarlo Stanton pulled a double to left in the second inning and Jose Trevino punched a two-out pop-up behind first base that Jon Singleton couldn’t grab despite bobbling the ball in his glove twice. In the fourth inning, Jon Berti, a late addition to the lineup after Anthony Volpe was scratched with an upset stomach, delivered a two-out RBI single. Judge supplied a sacrifice fly in the fifth.
That was the Yankees being resourceful. The lucky parts came in the ninth. With Clay Holmes giving up two singles to start the inning, Berti made a great diving play toward the bag to save at least one run. Yordan Alvarez then sliced a drive that went foul by inches before launching a 385-foot flyout to the warning track in center. Finally, Kyle Tucker sliced a dangerous liner that Alex Verdugo snared with a nifty sliding grab. (Aaron Boone happily said he “hot-dogged it,” in a good way.)
“We just get amped up. We love it,” Verdugo said. “That’s kind of what we’re rolling with, man. We’re dogs over here.”
Soto has looked like the alpha, as he’s stepped up to be the leader of the Yankees’ pack through four games. We’d expect that to continue. Memo to opposing teams: pitch to him at your peril, regardless of the situation. If Soto can dent Hader to further humble the Astros, in their own backyard, then no one is safe.
“Just a killer at-bat to finish off the series,” Boone said.
The next stop is Phoenix to face the defending NL champs. And for the Yankees, an unbeaten team transformed by Soto, the “generational” talent, anything seems possible.
David Lennon is an award-winning columnist, a voter for baseball's Hall of Fame and has covered six no-hitters, including two perfect games.
