What Makes Juan Soto Shuffle? The Yankees Superstar Reveals the Reason Behind His Iconic Move

The pomp and circumstances that surround Juan Soto are second to none. While baseball as a whole is filled with superstars, only a few possess the kind of swagger that this New York Yankees star has in spades. But while his on-field performances have been generational, there’s one other thing that has forever surrounded Soto. That thing is the silly little move he makes on the plate, the shuffle. Or more appropriately, the “Soto” Shuffle. 

How does a man come up with such a routine? Ever since the fans first saw Soto do it, they’ve wondered just what gave him such a novel yet simple idea. To do a little shuffle and interrupt the pitcher’s focus—that’s just brilliant but yet so bizarre. Now, during his interview with MLB Networks’ Harold Reynolds, Soto finally solved this mystery. As it turns out, it was never about dominating the pitchers.

“Everything started when I was in minor leagues,” Soto began talking about his Soto shuffle. The superstar noted that initially, he did it just to get the feel of the box. “Just to get myself comfortable, feel that box that is mine. And that’s how I started doing it. Just clean it up a little bit here and there, get everything settled, get my feet right.” However, as the Childish Bambino shared, his teammates and opponents couldn’t comprehend what he was doing.

“Whenever I started doing it, the boys were like, ‘Hey, what are you doing now?’ I just want to try to feel comfortable. I just want to make that box mine. That’s how I’ve been doing it; that’s how everything started,” Soto finished. So while the superstar didn’t start it to dominate the pitchers, that’s exactly what he ended up doing later on. In his typical Juan Soto fashion, he started adding some routines to that movement. And that turned it into one of baseball’s most iconic batting stances.

However, Soto’s movement has captivated the New York Yankees, and they’re still a little worried. With the Dominican superstar ready to enter free agency soon, the presence of Scott Boras in the stadium raised some eyebrows.

Juan Soto gets visited by Scott Boras, raising questions about the New York Yankees’ future

While the Yankees are undergoing their series against the San Diego Padres, one interesting video came out just hours before the game. Juan Soto’s agent, Scott Boras, visited him in Petco Park right before the game. While there’s no news regarding what the two talked about, one can wonder if it sent a few Bronx Bombers fans on a little overthinking spree. After all, despite his love for the Yankees, Soto has remained coy about his future.

On one breath, the superstar has said that his doors are open for extension talks with the Yankees. But then, just a few days later, Juan Soto shared that when entering free agency, he’d be willing to listen to everyone’s offers. Is it a negotiating tactic, or is it just a spoiler by Soto? Expecting an extension from a Scott Boras client is quite a risky bet. But free agency turns everything into an open game, and can the Yankees win it? That’s something that only time can tell.