Another day, another record — sorry, records made! With the New York Yankees just a win away from clinching a playoff berth, slugger Juan Soto had his eyes set on the history books, and boy, did he deliver! Soto kicked off the offseason buzz by smashing a special home run during an 11-2 rout of the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on Tuesday night. And get this—he didn’t just break one record, but TWO new milestones at the same time!
Everybody has some professional dream, right? One of the records that Soto broke on Tuesday was something he always wished for. That fourth-inning, two-run homer he launched on Tuesday wasn’t just any old blast—it meant he finally hit a home run in all 30 active ballparks! For the 25-year-old, this was a huge deal and a dream he’s had since he joined the American League. What a way to start his free agency career, right? Well, the star slugger feels the same, and so does their team captain Aaron Judge!
Aaron Judge is all over the moon for his partner’s achievements!
After the game, Juan Soto was all smiles and couldn’t hold back his excitement! “This is the best possible way to start my free agency. With all 30 ballparks checked off my list!” The 25-year-old was happy, but it seems this wasn’t the only record he made that day! He took another one just under his hat, and I’m not talking about him clinching his 200th home run of his career at the same ball! He made one more that is a joint record with Aaron Judge! Can you guess what that can be?
See, all around the 2024 season, everyone’s been buzzing about the incredible partnership between Soto and Judge! And now they’ve teamed up in style, cranking out home runs like it’s nothing. Juan Soto’s latest bomb not only marked his milestone of hitting a home run in all 30 active ballparks but also celebrated his 40th homer of the season! Meanwhile, Judge is out here flexing with an MLB-best 53 home runs. And together, they’ve made history as the third pair of Yankees teammates to hit 40 home runs in a single season!
New York Yankees teammates with 40 or more HRs:
1927: Ruth 60, Gehrig 47
1930: Ruth 49, Gehrig 41
1931: Ruth 46, Gehrig 46
1961: Maris 61, Mantle 54
2024: Judge 53, Soto 40
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) September 18, 2024
Joining the ranks of legends like Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig—who did this thrice!—and Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris, the young talent is absolutely over the moon about his achievement, and his partner Judge couldn’t be more supportive, saying, “What a career he’s having, what a year he’s having, and definitely looking forward to more the rest of this year.” The Yankees’ reign with Soto has been an absolute spectacle this year, and it’s only going to get more exciting as the season unfolds. But at the same time, his future with the team is uncertain once he joins free agency next year! Especially with his agent Scott Boras‘ comment in the mix!
Juan Soto’s future with the Yankees is not certain!
In May, Boras made it clear that he looks closely at performance levels when it comes to contracts. He pointed to Bryce Harper, another one of his clients, who secured a massive deal after posting over 1.000 OPS in Philadelphia. But here’s the catch with Soto: if Boras evaluates him the same way, it opens the door for not just one, but 14 teams to swoop in! On the other hand, the Yankees are really banking on having made a solid impression on Soto after trading for him in the offseason.
They kicked off this relationship by securing a mind-blowing $31 million salary for 2024—the highest arbitration salary in history! And they got their return on investment as soon as the slugger took on the bat with his powerful streak! Plus cherry on top was his partnership with Aaron Judge, which the Bronx must be hoping he is loving every bit of! While the team is hopping for his comeback the fans are in it too, you could hear the fans chanting “Re-sign Soto!” all over the Bronx!
With Soto putting up an impressive OPS of .993, it wouldn’t be a shocker if the Yankees rolled out a sweet offer. With Boras’ comments suggesting other teams could be in the mix, it’s uncertain; but for now, he’s a Yankee, and he’s been a key player in helping them stretch their lead atop the American League East to four games. All they need to do is clinch a win against the Mariners in Wednesday or Thursday’s series finale. Will they pull it off? Drop your thoughts in the comments!
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