It didn’t take long for Juan Soto to realize that life at the plate looks a lot different when Aaron Judge isn’t hitting behind you.
Now donning a Mets uniform, former New York Yankees star Juan Soto is already feeling the aftershock of leaving behind one of baseball’s most feared lineups. And as his home run total stalls, the comparisons to last season’s Bronx experience are starting to surfaceby fans as well as himself.
With just one home run and four RBIs through the first 13 games of the 2025 season—despite a stellar .409 on-base percentage—Soto has acknowledged what many baseball observers have already noticed: he’s being pitched around far more frequently. With Aaron Judge before him in the Yankees’ lineup, he had a different experience.
“It’s definitely different,” Soto told The New York Post prior to the Mets’ matchup against the Twins. “I had the best hitter in baseball hitting behind me. I was getting more attacked and more pitches in the strike zone, less intentional walks and things like that. I was pitched differently last year.”
Life without Judge: How Soto’s protection has changed
The slugger’s remarks underscore just how pivotal lineup protection can be for a hitter of his caliber. In 2024, his lone season with the Yankees, Soto slashed .310/.434/.596 with 38 home runs and 116 RBIs—many of which came in clutch situations fueled by pitchers opting not to pitch around him due to Judge lurking in the on-deck circle.
This season with the Mets, however, the narrative has shifted. Without a comparable threat batting behind him in the order, pitchers have the luxury of being cautious, often nibbling at the corners or pitching around him entirely. While Soto still boasts elite plate discipline, his offensive output has clearly taken a hit in the early going.
Through May, his slugging percentage has dipped below .400, and while the sample size is small, it’s enough to draw legitimate comparisons to last year’s dominance in the Bronx.
Finally, a breakthrough for Soto
Soto did finally break his home run drought Monday night at Target Field, launching a Jorge Alcala changeup over the right-center field wall to give the Mets a 4-1 cushion in the seventh inning. It marked his first homer of the 2025 campaign, ending a 13-game dry spell and offering a brief glimpse of the Soto Yankees fans had grown accustomed to watching.
The swing was a reminder of the power he still possesses—but also of how rarely he’s being given the chance to unleash it this year.
Revisiting Soto’s Yankees tenure
Soto’s lone season with the Yankees was not only one of the most productive of his career, but also one of the most impactful in franchise history for a player in his walk year. His partnership with Aaron Judge formed the heart of a dangerous Yankees lineup that helped carry the club into the postseason and re-energized a fanbase eager for October relevance.
In many ways, his time in pinstripes was defined by its synergy—a lethal one-two punch of patience and power that left pitchers with no safe option. When they pitched to Soto, he punished them. When they didn’t, they often paid the price with Judge following close behind.
That chemistry has been sorely missed—not only by Yankees fans but now, seemingly, by Soto himself.
Why the protection matters
Statistically, Soto saw more pitches in the zone in 2024 than any other full season of his career, a direct reflection of the influence Judge had in the lineup. According to Baseball Savant, he saw 41.7% zone pitches in 2024 compared to just 37.2% so far in 2025. While those numbers may seem small on the surface, they significantly impact approach and result—especially for a hitter as methodical as Soto.
Intentional walks are also trending upward. In 2024, Soto was walked intentionally 15 times. He’s already drawn four in the early going of 2025.
The Bronx effect still lingers
Though Soto ultimately chose free agency and a record-breaking contract with the Mets (reportedly 13 years, $765 million), his commentary about Judge serves as a subtle nod to the offensive luxury he had in the Bronx.
While the Mets remain hopeful that their investment pays off over the long term, it’s clear that immediate offensive chemistry has been harder to replicate in Queens.
Meanwhile, back in the Bronx, the Yankees—despite early-season injuries—are trying to maintain momentum without Soto in the lineup. Yet the ripple effects of his departure are evident on both sides of the city.
Final word: A tale of two lineups
Soto’s reflective comments offer more than just personal insight—they expose a truth about lineup construction in modern baseball. No matter how elite a hitter is, even the best bats can be neutralized without the right context around them.
For the Yankees, that context was perfectly crafted in 2024. For the Mets, the formula is still under construction. And for Soto, the lesson is now being lived in real time.
As the season unfolds, all eyes will be on whether Soto can adjust and force pitchers to engage him—or whether he’ll continue to feel the absence of the slugger who once stood behind him in the box.
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