Aaron Judge, Juan Soto primed for Yankees 2024 playoff push

NEW YORK — The whispers were growing louder throughout a hotel lobby in Nashville, Tenn., where baseball’s Winter Meetings were about to be disrupted by a seismic shockwave. The Yankees were moving closer to acquiring Juan Soto from the Padres, an old-school blockbuster trade for the new generation, and now, the decision rested in the hands of managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner.

Steinbrenner considered the pros and cons. San Diego insisted on a five-player package, headlined by promising pitcher Michael King. There were no guarantees of keeping Soto beyond a year, in line to bring down a record-setting contract and having already signaled his intent to test free agency. Yet Soto was, as Steinbrenner said, a “generational talent.” The rewards were worth the risk.

Once Steinbrenner approved, general manager Brian Cashman finalized the deal, pairing Soto’s remarkable blend of power and patience with Aaron Judge’s all-around excellence in the top third of the lineup. The Yankees dreamed big on the potential of having Soto and Judge hit back-to-back, and after seeing an entire season of the tandem in action, the results were everything they had hoped for.

“It was a pretty incredible dynamic duo,” general manager Brian Cashman said. “It’s a rarity to see something like that matched up in a lineup. [Soto] came as advertised. We needed to improve the offense, and he significantly provided that, partnering with the players we already had here — most importantly, Aaron Judge. Hopefully, they can wreak havoc here in the postseason. It was certainly fun for our fans to watch.”

This American League Division Series likely features the top three finishers in the AL Most Valuable Player voting. Judge places as the favorite, having led the AL in homers (58), RBIs (144), on-base percentage (.458), slugging percentage (.701), OPS (1.159), walks (133), extra-base hits (95) and total bases (392).

“Judge is the most amazing hitter that I’ve ever watched personally,” said Jazz Chisholm Jr. “Standing on deck and in the dugout and watching him hit every day, even when he’s going through it, you can see nothing’s really changed. He’s just going to keep on doing the same thing and keep on going.”

Added Giancarlo Stanton: “He’s still playing video games while all of us are out there working. It’s been incredible to watch. The guy is phenomenal.”

The Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr. is a solid choice for runner-up after he paced the AL in batting average (.332) and hits (211). Through no fault of his own, Soto will probably place third. He led the AL with 128 runs scored, a benefit of hitting ahead of Judge.

Early this spring, Gerrit Cole gushed that while he thought he’d like playing alongside Soto, he was already loving the experience. Come October, his stance had not changed.

“It’s been just as much fun,” Cole said on Friday. “I haven’t had to pay for tickets. I get a front-row seat; nobody obstructs my view. He just competes on every pitch like the great players that have come before us, and like the great players that are in every game.”

Said hitting coach James Rowson: “He’s way better than I expected. Looking at his track record and how good [of] a player he was, it’s hard to be better than that. But once you meet him, he’s better than what you thought.”

While Judge and Soto shone as the modern-day Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, finishing one homer shy of becoming the seventh pair of teammates to combine for 100 homers in a season, they also recognize that their performance will mean little if the Yankees’ October run ends early.

Judge experienced that firsthand in 2022, when his chase of Roger Maris’ single-season American League home run record so electrified the sports world that his at-bats even interrupted college football telecasts on Saturdays. Judge got the mark, finishing with 62 homers, but he seemed exhausted by October. Judge managed only five hits in 36 playoff at-bats (.139).

As he shook hands with well-wishers following that year’s final game, Judge spoke of “unfinished business.” He’d soon begin to tackle that with a new nine-year, $360 million contract, having been anointed the club’s first captain since Derek Jeter. Steinbrenner felt no need to outline the accompanying expectation: Bring home the franchise’s 28th World Series title.

Judge has spoken of standing in the outfield at Yankee Stadium, scanning the navy pennants that ring the suites above the 200 level. He can recite them from memory: 1977, 1978, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2009. This marks the franchise’s longest drought since that gap between ’78 and ’96, the passing of time between Reggie Jackson and Paul O’Neill patrolling patches of grass across East 161st Street.

“When you wear these pinstripes, when you play in this stadium, you’re expected to win,” Judge said.

With a space in Monument Park already essentially reserved for his super-sized No. 99, Judge understands that opportunities to deliver rings aren’t assured. Watching from the sidelines during last year’s playoffs serves as proof of that.

With a championship already under his belt as a member of the 2019 Nationals, Soto is one up on Judge in this category. Touching upon the taboo subject of Soto’s free agency, Cole said he’s savoring having Soto in the room “especially while we have him — and he can’t go anywhere right now.”

Soto clearly enjoys playing in New York, his teammates and the fans. Yet his intentions beyond the next several games — 11 victories, the Yankees hope — remain a mystery.

“What we’ve talked about since Day 1 is trying to be together and push together as a team,” Soto said. “We believe in each other. That’s what makes me think we can go all the way, because we believe in each other.”

And perhaps the Yankees will. Can the Soto trade be considered a success if they don’t win the World Series?

“It’s a lot more complicated than just one move,” Cashman said, “but certainly, he was brought in to improve our chances. I think that he has certainly improved our chances, without a doubt. … It’s carried us this far, but we have higher goals than that.”