Juan Soto has been a super star since the day he stepped onto the field in 2018 with the Washington Nationals. In his rookie season, he hit 25 doubles, sent 22 over the wall, while driving in 70 runs and recording a .292 batting average and finishing second for the NL Rookie of the Year award.
The very next season, his sophomore year in the majors, he bested his rookie season by shattering his numbers, hitting 32 doubles, five triples, 34 home runs, drove in 110 and helped lead his team over the Houston Astros and claim the 2019 World Series Championship.
After three more seasons in Washington, the Nationals pulled off a monster trade with the San Diego Padres by sending Soto and Josh Bell to San Diego for six players, which included Luke Voit and MacKenzie Gore.
The San Diego Padres had a very disappointing 2023 season, as they were favorites to win the division and possibly a world series crown. As for Soto, his power numbers were almost just as good as was in his 2019 season. He appeared in all 162 games and hit 32 doubles, a career high 35 home runs and missed matching his career high in runs batted in by one run (109).
The Padres decided to unload Soto in the offseason and sent him and Trent Grisham to the New York Yankees for six players that included catcher Kyle Higashioka.
Soto will be a free agent after the season, which means he will be playing for a huge contract, and even if the Yankees don’t pursue him until then, he will still be the key now to helping them finally get back to winning a World Series. It has been 14 years since they last won the crown, and the pieces are there for the drought to finally end.
So far this spring, Soto has started early with showing that the 2024 season will be a special one for him. Through four games, he is batting .667 (6 for 9), with two doubles, three home runs, and seven RBIs.
It is only spring training, but Soto is on a mission and in order to finally land the contract that will give him the opportunity to pick his new home, it starts now, and that is great news for Yankee fans.
The Yankees have the tools, they have the pitching and they have the team to make it happen in 2024. They will be the team to beat in the AL East and no reason why they don’t just walk through the AL postseason and into the 2024 World Series.
Soto is key to a World Series Championship and as long as everyone including Aaron Judge, Anthony Rizzo and DJ LeMahieu remain healthy, the Bronx Bombers should be able to add another ring to their trophy case.
