In a season that’s already brimming with surprises, some of baseball’s most hyped players are suddenly feeling the heat. While Aaron Judge continues to launch balls into orbit like he’s collecting souvenirs, Juan Soto, once regarded as a generational talent, seems to have misplaced his power. Meanwhile, the murmurs of a potential All-Star snub grow louder for certain big names, leaving fans wondering: Are we witnessing the rise of the new elite?

Each player position in baseball has many top contenders for being the best in the position. But when two of the best names meet in the same position? It is bound to cause some friction, and there will be sparks. In their recent article, ESPN released a list of players who are the 2025 April All-Stars. In the article, each position was given 3 sections: All-Star, Player to watch out for, and Disappointment.

While there were names like Aaron Judge and Pete Alonso, names like Juan Soto and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. were in the “Disappointment” section. After looking at this and the stats, it makes sense as to why Aaron Judge and Pete Alonso were chosen above Soto and Guerrero Jr.

The main thing that puts Alonso ahead of Guerrero Jr. is the mega contract that was signed a few weeks ago. This huge deal hangs over the head of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is leading people to have more expectations, and he might not be able to reach that standard. Just looking at the season so far, it has been a slow start. He has hit just 2 home runs and has 12 RBIs in the month, which is very underwhelming for a superstar.

Meanwhile, Pete Alonso is outperforming expectations after a down year, showing huge improvements in plate discipline and consistent power. He has a batting average of .333 with 6 home runs and 26 RBIs. He has been able to get the bat on the ball consistently and has been hitting doubles all over the field. So basically, Alonso is exceeding his benchmark while Guerrero Jr. is falling short.

And it is almost the same with Juan Soto and Aaron Judge.

Juan Soto signed a massive check of $765 million to come to the Mets, and his performance has not been worth that yet. Known for his hitting ability, Soto has had only 3 home runs and 12 RBIs, and a batting average of .256. While this is happening, Judge has been on a roll with a batting average of .406. Judge is not just good, he’s historic right now, batting over .400 and carrying MVP-level production.

In a sport where contracts don’t swing the bat, production does, the gap between hype and reality has never been clearer. Judge and Alonso are setting the bar; Soto and Guerrero are still looking for the stool to reach it. The All-Star stage doesn’t reward press releases — it rewards performance. Right now, two names are writing headlines with their bats, and two others are just reading about it.

Pressure cooker: Can Juan Soto handle the heat?

Pressure has a curious way of sorting the legends from the headlines. In a city where patience is thinner than the right-field foul line, the game isn’t just played on the diamond—it’s fought in the headlines and whispers. Aaron Judge knows this; he thrives in it. Juan Soto, meanwhile, finds himself center stage, with expectations pounding louder than the subway trains beneath Yankee Stadium.

The fans can feel the pressure that is on Soto just by watching the game he is playing. Maybe it is the $765 million that is hanging over his head. When the Mets signed Soto, everybody had huge expectations and believed that he would be the same Juan Soto that he was at the Yankees, but that has not been the case. And when you play in New York, you are always compared with legends and current stars.

His time with the Yankees in the past draws an automatic comparison with Aaron Judge, especially about handling high-pressure moments. When you ask any pitcher in the league, they will tell you that Soto is very good and might not have any weaknesses, but they seem to have found something this season. His ability to command the pitcher has reduced drastically, and questions are starting to pop up.

In New York, excuses age faster than milk left out on a summer day. Soto still has the talent to silence the critics, but the clock is ticking louder than the bleacher chants. If he’s going to wear the crown, he’ll need more than a sweet swing—he’ll need the grit that made legends out of men like Judge. Otherwise, the city that crowned him will be the first to boo him off the throne.