Juan Soto joining the New York Yankees was an offseason match made in heaven, and now, the star left fielder is looking forward to playing in the Bronx for more reasons than one.
Yankees: Soto Motivated to Play in Front of Family, Countrymen in 2024
According to Max Goodman of NJ.com, Soto is salivating at the chance to play in front of his family and the greater Dominican fanbase that New York has to offer, saying:
“I’m more than excited to step on that field and see how much energy they can bring to the ballpark, it’s going to be pretty amazing,” Soto said. “It was pretty cool to see them from the other side, but I can’t imagine how it’s going to be being on the same side, hearing them cheer for me.”
The Yankees have a diverse fanbase that has powered them to playoff appearances in six of the last seven seasons. Soto will now have an opportunity to feed off of Yankee Stadium’s infectious energy and help the franchise win more games in 2024.
Soto is also relishing the opportunity to mentor fellow Dominican OF Jasson Dominguez.
Alex Rodriguez was the last Dominican superstar to bat for the Yankees back in 2016. Soto will now take on that mantle as he looks to carry over a Silver Slugger Award-winning year into 2024 and show out for his fellow countrymen.
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Soto Looking to Win First World Series Crown as Member of the Yankees
Soto also spoke on winning being his top priority once he takes the field for the first time in the Bronx. The veteran slugger knows what it’s like to play on baseball’s biggest stage, having led the Padres to Game 7 of the 2019 World Series and another NLCS run in 2022.
The Yankees will now sport a strong outfield including Soto and Aaron Judge while also posing a threat to all opposing pitching staffs with a batting order that includes at least four hitters that can all go for 25-plus home runs in 2024.
In order for the Yankees to improve upon their 82-80 record this past year, they’ll need Soto to do much of the heavy lifting behind Aaron Judge on both ends as they aim for another World Series push in 2024.
