Star Sluggers Share Differing Opinions on the Best Place to Win
The gloves are finally off. The captain of the New York Yankees, Aaron Judge, finally pushed back against Juan Soto. At least as much as Judge, one of the most respected gentlemen in MLB, can muster. In an interview in which he mostly supported the choice that Soto made as far as location, money, and family placement, Judge did share a different opinion concerning which place in New York City offers the best chance of winning. Judge reasserted that that place does not reside in Queens, NY. “That’s his opinion,” Judge pointed out, “I definitely disagree with him.”
Judge has taken a lot of heat and much ridicule since that now infamous fifth-inning drop of a routine fly ball in the fifth game of the 2024 World Series that opened the floodgates to one of the greatest single-game collapses in recent memory. The defending American League MVP is once again the focal point of the Yankees. He is a father now and, at 33, appears to be hungry to remove this albatross that once hung around the neck of Alex Rodriguez until 2009. The happy-go-lucky attitude that defined the Yankees of the late 2010s and early 2020s was a reflection of their manager-therapist Aaron Boone and the leader in the clubhouse by title and perception. Judge must change the culture of this club from play to work. Serious work and attention to detail need to be the hallmarks of a team now. It all begins and ends with him. A return to the World Series and winning it are the only things that are acceptable now that the Los Angeles Dodgers, baseball teams around the league, and Juan Soto have by their actions fully disrespected the once mightiest franchise in baseball. “Getting to the dance and then losing out on it definitely is a lot worse than not even getting in,” Judge said, “So guys are motivated. Guys are ready to go.”
It was quite painful to hear the captain talk about how Juan Soto got a good deal referring to his 15-year, $765 million deal with the cross river New York Mets. It implied that the offer was superior to what the Yankees offered. The difference was minimal and only exposed the fact that Juan Soto never wanted to be here and used the Yankees as a bus stop to riches. Judge, on the other hand, is homegrown and grew up as a true Yankee fan who is fully aware of the heritage and how his legacy will be defined by whether he wins a championship. These two will be compared now in 2025 and beyond. He seems ready for the challenge. It’s going to be great having him in town,” Judge admitted. “We’re going to be battling back and forth for quite a few years.”
Those are the words that finally showed a teaspoon of his true competitive self which was laid down concerning the topic of winning. The Yankees went into the offseason and refused to curl up like a ball. They went out and acquired an elite top-line starter in Max Fried, top closer Devin Williams, first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, and center fielder Cody Bellinger. They moved with a purpose, and if Aaron’s words are true, we will see another MVP season and a postseason match in 2025. The Mets’ only significant move outside Soto was re-signing Pete Alonso. As far as winning, this is still a Yankee pedigree and something the Mets have done at times and periods but not on a year-to-year basis. It was important for the Judge to point this out.
Judge is now a mature and motivated athlete who not only wants to win for his teammates and the city but for his just-born daughter. Aaron may just have found in fatherhood the ultimate reason to do well in the coming years. In addition, he recognizes that the window is closing on his prime years and the competition to prove where winning and championships lives is closing. “I’m getting older. I don’t want to be the old man here in a couple of years, so I got to stay on top of my game,” Judge reflected, “So she’s definitely going to motivate me, keep me on my toes, and it’s going to be a fun couple of years, that's for sure.” The one area Judge has always shown is the ability to put up big numbers without real support around him for protection. Soto has yet to prove he can do the same. By taking away Judge and his umbrella, Soto will be hard-pressed to hit 40 homers this coming season since he will be carrying the Mets on his back. Soto can talk, but words notwithstanding, Judge excels in the box and carries a big stick, and that is where the final word will be recorded. He will look to prove Soto wrong and that Yankee Stadium will be the place where winning continues to happen.
