The Yankees will take on the rival Houston Astros on opening day Thursday afternoon, and they are set to unveil their new elite dynamic hitting duo at the top of the order.
Acquiring Juan Soto this off-season should reinforce the outfield significantly, notably because of his Hall-of-Fame-level bat. The 25-year-old had a red hot spring with the Bombers, hitting .304/.373/.630, including four homers and 10 RBIs.
Soto is in his final year of arbitration, meaning an elite season would catapult him into one of the biggest contracts in sports history. Of course, Shohei Ohtani broke a few records this past off-season, but Soto will certainly get his bag—one big enough to need multiple Brinks trucks.
The Yankees are Getting Durability and Elite Production
Last season, Soto played all 162 games, hitting .275/.410/.519, including 35 homers and 1 09 RBIs. The Yankees wanted a durable young player, and they got one of the best in the game with Soto, but where he will make his biggest impact is with runners in scoring position.
Soto hit .299/.439/.576, including a 1.015 OPS with runners on base in 2023. This is no ordinary hitter; this is one of the most lethal bats the game has to offer, and the Yankees are pairing him with their 2022 MVP winner.
With that being said, Aaron Judge is no pushover himself. The 31-year-old has been dealing with an abdominal issue over the past few weeks but is ready to go for opening day and should return to his previous form after an up-and-down spring training. Over 10 spring games, Judge hit .208/.296/.333, failing to smack a home run but mostly just trying to see the ball and get some action under his belt.
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Despite a significant toe injury last year, Judge still managed to hit .267/.406/.613, including 37 homers and 75 RBIs. As long as he’s healthy and in a groove, Judge may even be better than Soto, which is already a difficult task to accomplish.
The Yankees will be lifted and carried by these two batters, but the rest of the lineup isn’t too shabby, either. Anthony Rizzo is returning from a concussion that derailed his 2023 season. Giancarlo Stanton looks a lot better this spring, and Anthony Volpe has changed his swing entirely, suggesting he’s in line for a sizeable developmental leap. That is not to mention Gleyber Torres being in the final of arbitration himself, so he will have plenty of incentive to have a great year.
On paper, the Yankees have one of the most dominant batting orders in the game, but there are some concerns about their pitching, and they will be waiting patiently for the return of their ace, Gerrit Cole, who is feeling great and should be able to make a return by early June.