Aaron Judge had an up-close view of the Juan Soto effect on Thursday, taking in his at-bats from the on-deck circle before watching his game-saving outfield assist from nearby center field.
For Judge, the Soto impact was apparent and palpable, and the Yankee captain says it deserves to be seen over and over as part of the YES Network’s rotation of replaying unforgettable wins.
“That was a Yankee Classic right there,” Judge said. “Juan’s debut, that was pretty special out of him. Come up and get his first hit, first at-bat he takes a walk, then come up there in the biggest moment of the game and just be cool, calm, and collected, and deliver a strike home, that just speaks volumes to the type of player he is and the type of presence he has in the box and on the field.”
Judge had the best view in the house for Soto’s preparation for the game-deciding play, spoiling a potential game-tying single by gunning down Mauricio Dubon at home, a play that was upheld after an Astros challenge. As the umpires gathered for a review, Judge had no doubt that his new teammate had secured the out.
“I took a peek over at the third base coach to see if he was waving him, it was an easy send on his part,” Judge said. “Soto came up with it so clean and so easy, nice one hop, it was pretty impressive. I knew. No doubt in my mind he would be out. Great play by him.”
Soto’s trademark plate discipline was front and center in his Yankee debut, drawing a pair of walks around an RBI single, but his defense, considered by many to be a weakness in his game, had just as much of an impact on the game. It may have come as a surprise to many, but not to Judge, who spent the spring doing outfield work with Soto.
“He’s been working on that all spring,” Judge said. “I think a lot of people haven’t seen that. He’s been on the back fields a lot with a lot of coaches just working on how he wants the ball to come out of his hand, working on his arm strength a little bit, and it showed up in a big moment for us right there.
“I don’t know where that came from, but he’s been a great defender the whole time I’ve seen him in spring training. His routes, his reads, hustles to the ball, always backs up, communicates well in the outfield. He’s been great for us so far, and he’s gonna hold down right field pretty well for us.”