New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto is taking Major League Baseball by storm in the 2024 season. Through just 19 games, he has reached base a remarkable 43 times, solidifying his place as a cornerstone of the Bronx Bombers’ potent lineup.
This blistering start has placed him in elite company. Juan Soto’s on-base percentage rivals legendary Yankees greats like Mickey Mantle (48 times in 1962), Babe Ruth (45 times in 1923), Derek Jeter (46 times in 1999, 44 times in 2006 & 2005), Bill Dickey (44 times in 1939), and Joe DiMaggio (43 times in 1941). This achievement underscores Juan Soto’s exceptional talent and positions him among the pantheon of greats who have donned the iconic pinstripes.
Beyond his on-base mastery, Juan Soto recently crossed the coveted threshold of 500 career RBIs. This accomplishment further cements his status as a driving force for the Yankees. His contributions have been instrumental in propelling the team to the top of the American League East standings.
With Juan Soto’s offensive firepower and knack for driving in runs, the Yankees have a lot to be optimistic about for the upcoming playoffs. Fans eagerly await witnessing more milestones from this rising star as he continues to etch his name in the ever-growing legacy of the New York Yankees organization.
Juan Soto becomes the seventh youngest to hit 500 RBIs
New York Yankees slugger Juan Soto etched his name deeper into baseball lore on Wednesday night. With a mighty solo home run to right-center field in the top of the 8th inning, he reached the prestigious milestone of 500 career RBIs. At just 25 years and 175 days old, he becomes the seventh-youngest player to achieve this remarkable feat.
Only a handful of legends have reached this mark at a younger age: Miguel Cabrera (24 years, 139 days), Ken Griffey Jr. (24 years, 198 days), Albert Pujols (24 years, 254 days), Alex Rodriguez (24 years, 291 days), Andruw Jones (25 years, 38 days), and Adrian Beltre (25 years, 165 days).
Juan Soto’s dream
Beyond this impressive RBI accomplishment, Juan Soto is chasing another personal goal: becoming the first player to hit a home run in every single active Major League Baseball stadium.
Juan Soto revealed this ambition in a February interview with the YES Network, expressing his desire to conquer all 30 ballparks. As of today, according to YES Network’s James Smythe, five stadiums remain on his “hit list”: Progressive Field (Cleveland), Angel Stadium, Guaranteed Rate Field (Chicago), Globe Life Field (Arlington), and T-Mobile Park (Seattle).
He recently crossed Progressive Field off his list during the Yankees‘ series there from April 12th to 14th. His next chance to add another stadium comes from May 28-30 when the Yankees face the Angels. Following that, Juan Soto will have to wait for the team’s visits to Guaranteed Rate Field (August 12-14), Globe Life Field (September 2-4), and T-Mobile Park (September 17-19).
Juan Soto’s power-hitting prowess is well-documented, particularly against his former National League East foes. While playing for the Washington Nationals, he launched an astounding 50 home runs at Nationals Park and added another 17 at Petco Park during his stint with the San Diego Padres. Juan Soto also enjoyed success against NL East rivals, clubbing 11 homers at Citi Field against the Mets, 12 at Truist Park against the Braves, and 13 at Citizens Bank Park against the Phillies.
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
Excellent article, Michael. This piece accentuates how foolish Sal Licata was recently for blasting Soto for taking a walk to load the bases, with Aaron Judge, an MVP winner, on deck.
As I noted yesterday, Soto’s approach to hitting is reminiscent of the approach of Ted Williams, the Greatest Pure Hitter who ever played the game.
Like Ted Williams, Soto doesn’t often make the mistake of expanding his strike zone (after all he’s human, or is he?). When players expand their strike zone & their personal “go zone,” that’s when they end up going into massive slumps, because they lose sight of what pitches are ideal for their swing mechanics.
Torres is an example of a player who Frequently seems to have NO IDEA WHATSOEVER what his ideal strike zone is, flailing pitifully at Anything & Everything, which is why he’s never been a consistent hitter, despite having the innate skills to be one. His other problem is that he insists on believing he’s a Power Hitter in the same sense as Judge & Soto, whereas, at his best, he’s a gap hitter, with 25+ HR potential. If he’d just accept that & became more selective at the plate, he could be a .280-.290 hitter, with impressive, second-tier power. But he’s stubborn & lacks any baseball sense at bat, in the field & on the bases: he’s a full-service idiot.
Like Ted Williams, Soto seems to understand that expanding your strike zone ultimately leads to disaster. He understands that you should only swing at pitches in your ideal “go zone” with less than 2 strikes. That approach increases your chances of hitting the ball with Authority, rather than weakly topping or popping up a pitch you never should have swung at.
Always keep in mind that The Greatest of The Great FAIL MISERABLY 65% to 70%, so expanding your strike zone is a recipe for Disaster.
One other thing I absolutely Love about Soto is that, unlike Judge, Soto gives the umpire grief Any Time the ump makes a bad call. He can get away with that — as Judge could, too, but doesn’t — because the Ump Knows he’s dealing with One of the True Super Stars of Baseball. The umps will never acknowledge this, but they must be thinking, “Maybe I was Wrong, after all, he’s a Truly Great Hitter.”
I wish Judge would take the same approach to dealing with bad calls. How else is the ump going to know, during a given at bat, that he Screwed Up Royally, according to one of the Best in the Game? Come on, Aaron, Use Your Credibility as a Super Star to Your Advantage, as Soto does, and let the Umps know when THEY, NOT YOU, have Screwed Up.