Yankees All-Star outfielder Aaron Judge chose to speak out on the departure of his former teammate Juan Soto, two months after he left for the Mets. The two appeared to be very close during their tenure in the Bronx, but what did Judge have to say about him leaving?
Magical Year in the Bronx
There is no doubt that Juan Soto and Aaron Judge brought each other to a new level. Judge took home MVP honors for his efforts, while Soto finished a very respectable third. He was only behind Judge and Bobby Witt Jr. of the Royals.
In 2024, Judge hit .322 and led the American League in home runs (58), runs batted in (144), and OPS (1.159), among other stats, to have the best season that a right-handed hitter has ever had. Juan Soto had an extremely respectable .288 batting average, led the AL in runs scored (128), and was second in OPS (.989).
The dynamic duo took the Yankees to the World Series for the first time in 15 years on the back of some clutch moments and a team that any fan would say was the most exciting team to don the pinstripes in a decade.
During the year, Judge would plant seeds that staying could be a good move, saying things like, “Listen to those people, look at the fans, they love you.” So, I think we could put to rest the allegations that Judge didn’t try hard; he had a full season to work on it. But in becoming friends, he really wanted to make sure Soto did what made him happiest.
‘You Can’t Replace A Guy Like Juan Soto’
Aaron did a fantastic job in handling this situation. There is no doubt that there is only one Juan Soto, and he is being paid as such, but he is gone, and it is time for him to turn the page and focus on who is on the Yankees for 2025.
Aaron Judge on the Yankees losing Juan Soto in free agency:
“Excited for him and his new chapter with the Mets, but we added a lot of new pieces here… you can’t replace a guy like Juan Soto but you bring in guys like this that are All Star, MVP caliber players.” pic.twitter.com/xiPLPkFhNU
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) February 17, 2025
The Yankees stood strong in the bidding process for Soto’s services, going beyond what they intended to offer for him, but as many people had reported, they never really had a chance. Some fans don’t understand that, but to some players, getting the absolute top dollar is the biggest sign of respect that a club can provide.
Among players that the Yankees brought in, they added some guys with serious accolades. Former MVP hitters Paul Goldschmidt and Cody Bellinger, and All-Star pitchers Max Fried and Devin Williams are the top acquisitions for the Bronx Bombers.
