HOUSTON — Juan Soto stomped on the ground and pounded his chest as he let out a roar that could be heard back in The Bronx. Aaron Judge flexed his right arm at Soto, his way of showing how impressed he was with Soto’s cannon to home. From left field, Alex Verdugo jumped in the air with both of his arms extending to the sky.
For five seconds, Minute Maid Park fell silent as Soto’s 87.6 mph throw from right field sailed in the air to home plate as Mauricio Dubón rounded third following a Kyle Tucker single. In one motion, Soto charged in, scooped the ball and uncorked a rocket to the third base side of home plate for Jose Trevino to make the tag and preserve a 5-4 New York Yankees’ come-from-behind win over the Houston Astros on Opening Day.
There was significant hype surrounding the Yankees’ trade for Soto this offseason. An argument could be made that landing Soto is the biggest trade the Yankees have made since acquiring Babe Ruth from the Boston Red Sox in 1920. Soto has already established himself as one of the greatest players of his generation, with a career 154 wRC+ in his first six seasons. Only 31 players in MLB history have had a 154 wRC+ or better for their careers. And in his first official game as a Yankee, Soto showed why the organization has desperately wanted him on its roster for several years now.
Juan Soto. New York Yankee. pic.twitter.com/I5bIc26Bzf
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) March 28, 2024
“That was a Yankee classic right there,” Judge said. “Juan’s debut, that was pretty special out of him. He comes up and takes a walk in his first at-bat, then comes up in the biggest moment of the game and to be cool, calm, collected and deliver a strike home, that just speaks volumes to the type of player he is and the presence he has.”
Soto stood in front of his locker wearing a diamond-encrusted No. 22 chain with his patented Soto Shuffle logo prominently displayed in the middle. The Yankees’ right fielder said matter-of-factly that there was no doubt in his mind that he was going to nail Dubón at home plate. Soto is not known for his defense. In 2023, he finished in the third percentile in outs above average. His arm ranks slightly above average, but all spring he spoke about wanting to prove that he’s more than just an otherworldly hitter.
So, he worked extensively with outfield coach Luis Rojas throughout spring training on the backfields. He felt like his strength as an outfielder was charging in on balls, but he wanted to grow in his route-running ability and enhance his arm strength after playing left field for the Padres last season. The Yankees have wanted Soto to exude the same level of swag he carries in the batter’s box out to the outfield. They believe that level of confidence could lead to better results on defense. And in Game 1, he showed that there’s more to that side of his game.
“I’ve got to do stuff so they can start talking,” Soto said of his defense. “Stuff like I did today, I know they’re going to be talking about my defense later on.”
Not only will people be talking about his defense, but his on-base prowess was already on full display in his first game. In his first at-bat against Astros starter Framber Valdez, Soto worked an eight-pitch walk. In his third at-bat, Soto drove home the Yankees’ first run of the day when he singled to right field with the bases loaded. He then added a second walk in the eighth inning. Soto’s patience at the plate was part of a noticeably larger trend for the Yankees in their first game: They worked counts and made opposing pitchers work, which was something that did not happen often last season. Only four times last season did the Yankees have at least nine walks in one game; they did that in their first game of the 2024 season.
Soto’s 1st hit as a Yankee @JuanSoto25_ pic.twitter.com/Qa8NVggPCp
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) March 28, 2024
There’s no one on the Yankees who embodies what the team wants to be offensively this season more than Soto. They want to wear out opposing pitchers and grind them down. After getting down 4-0 after the second inning, the Yankees made Valdez work and pushed him out of the game in the fifth inning after racking up six walks and five hits against him.
One of the biggest takeaways the Yankees have had since Soto has been with the organization is how he takes every moment at the plate as seriously as possible. Oswaldo Cabrera, who went 2-for-4 and hit a game-tying home run in the sixth inning, spoke earlier in spring about how he’s made it a point to watch how Soto hits to all fields in the cage and doesn’t change his swing to try to hit bombs. It’s those things that have already carried down to the whole roster.
After Clay Holmes got Astros third baseman Alex Bregman to ground out to end the game, Soto ran over to Judge and Verdugo. Judge stood there with his arms folded and a smile that stretched across his face as his new teammates embraced. It was just one game but a full showcase for why Soto may end up having the contract with the highest annual average value in the sport this offseason. Nestor Cortes said of Soto; “You always expect him to do great things.”
There’s reason to believe this year could be special if things fall into place for the Yankees. Last season was a slog as they finished 82-80, but they didn’t have Soto. In just one game, he showed why they hope he re-signs with the team for the rest of his career. When asked if he felt like Soto’s energy and boastfulness was a missing element of last year’s team, Yankees manager Aaron Boone took it one step further.
“I mean, Juan Soto was a missing element, I’ll tell you that much.”
(Photo of Juan Soto: New York Yankees / Getty Images)
