Juan Soto -- looking like a bust for the Mets

[D. Bergin]

Wish the Yankees could have kept him, but Cohen appealed to Soto's ego better then Hal did...who didn't seem to want to be bothered beyond throwing out the contract at Soto part.

I don't begrudge Soto for leaving. He spent 1 year with the Yankees, and had been used as essentially a bargaining chip multiple times in his young career already.

Not sure why he owed them any loyalty. He was a rental from the get go, and he got them to the World Series, just like they were hoping.

....and then it was the rest of the team who bungled it from there. Soto carried them as far as he could in the Playoffs to.

Wish we had Michael King back, but another upside of that trade is that throw in, Trent Grisham, is now having a bit of a breakout season. Don't know how long it will last (again, it's only May), but if we also get a couple serviceable years out of him, it will make the pitching prospects we gave up for Soto, hurt a lot less.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Until proven otherwise, Juan Soto is a generational talent. It might be proven otherwise -- it's baseball and anything can happen to a young player -- but 7 weeks don't mean a thing.

[packs]

I think everyone has to discount Soto's year on the Yankees too. Hitting in front of Judge is going to make a lot of guys look good. It will be tough for anyone to replicate the same numbers while not hitting in front of Judge. Alonso really isn't in the same class.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by packs

I think everyone has to discount Soto's year on the Yankees too. Hitting in front of Judge is going to make a lot of guys look good. It will be tough for anyone to replicate the same numbers while not hitting in front of Judge. Alonso really isn't in the same class.

Not sure how much difference that really makes statistically other than maybe runs scored. I think it may be one of those things that sounds good but doesn't hold up.

[packs]

Or you could look at his statistics. He put up the highest WAR of his career on the Yankees and aside from the strike shortened 2020 season, also his highest OPS+. He also set a career high in home runs.

[jayshum]

Originally Posted by packs

Or you could look at his statistics. He put up the highest WAR of his career on the Yankees and aside from the strike shortened 2020 season, also his highest OPS+. He also set a career high in home runs.

Being a left handed power hitter in Yankee Stadium could also have something to do with his stats last year.

[packs]

Originally Posted by jayshum

Being a left handed power hitter in Yankee Stadium could also have something to do with his stats last year.

The guys hitting in front of Judge most often this season are Grisham and Goldschmidt. Many have commented on the starts they’ve gotten off to this year.

Judge is again leading the league in RBIs and leading all three Triple Crown categories without Soto and without batting left handed, and he is good everywhere when you consider his nearly identical OPS at home and on the road. I think it's time to accept that Judge is the X factor. You are going to get better at bats with him behind you.

[D. Bergin]

The guy walked 129 times with Aaron Judge sitting in the on deck circle, waiting to hit next.

That speaks to a certain skill-set and batters eye that has almost disappeared from the game of baseball.

I'd say Judge benefited from him, just as much as he benefited from Judge. Guys on base already, now you have to pitch to Judge. Not like there were any other guys on that team with a passable OBP, to help Judge drive in as many runs as he did.