What we’ve learned from Juan Soto’s first month with the Yankees: 3 takeaways

For someone with Juan Soto’s star power, it was an introduction that could have been seen as a bit underwhelming, especially by the grandiose standards of the New York Yankees.

Soto had learned he was being traded from the San Diego Padres to the Bronx when he was in South Florida, working out at a facility run by Scott Boras, his agent.

So that’s where Soto remained. His first time wearing a cap with the interlocking NY happened more than 1,000 miles away from the Bronx. His first public comments as a member of the Yankees didn’t happen in a press conference room at Yankee Stadium. Instead, Soto made them over grainy video via Zoom.

Since then, the Yankees and their fans have gotten a much closer look at Soto. Spring training was one taste.

But here are our three biggest takeaways from Soto’s first regular season month with the Yankees.

Juan Soto drives in another run in the 6th!pic.twitter.com/AdDmd0ZG9X

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) April 28, 2024

A ‘once-in-a-generation’ player

Yankees starting pitcher Marcus Stroman has had the same answer for several years running when asked who is the best hitter he’s faced. It’s Soto.

Soto has gone 3-for-10 with one home run and four walks against Stroman in his career, but the things the Yankees right fielder does that can’t be measured have impressed Stroman the most.

“People try to say he had a down year last year, but how he impacts the lineup is second to none with how many pitches he sees, how much stress he puts on the opposing pitcher,” Stroman told The Athletic. “You can’t put value on some of the things he’s doing. Obviously, the value is crazy but it’s even more because of some of the things he’s doing from game-planning to stress. He’s a once-in-a-generation player. I think he’ll go down as one of the best to ever do this. I legit think that and he’s only f—ing 25 years old. I truly believe he’ll go down as one of the best hitters of all time.”

So how would Stroman attack Soto if they were on opposite sides now? There’s no good answer other than trusting your stuff as a pitcher because of how advanced Soto is as a hitter.

“Everyone’s wheels start turning in their head when they face him because he has no holes in his swing,” Stroman said. “He knows the strike zone better than the umpire. He gets his A-swing off on anything in the zone. He can hit high velo, he can hit spin. He has no weakness.” — Kirschner

Soto has been better than expected

Soto was a top-10 hitter in MLB last season with the Padres, and the Yankees have somehow gotten an even better version of him this year. Heading into Sunday’s game, Soto ranked third in MLB with a 196 wRC+ — only Mookie Betts and Marcell Ozuna have been better.

One area where Soto has been better this season compared to 2023 is the damage he’s done against fastballs. Last year, Soto had a .998 OPS against all fastballs (sinkers and cutters included) with 27 home runs and a 16.4 percent strikeout rate. So far this year, Soto has a 1.145 OPS with five home runs and just a 9.3 percent strikeout rate.

Not only has he crushed fastballs, but Soto’s also hitting the ball harder than last year. His average exit velocity has been 95 mph compared to 93.2 mph in 2023. He’s also posted a better barrel rate, hard-hit rate and sweet-spot rate while also lowering his strikeout percentage, whiff percentage and chase rate. He’s also been a much better defensive player than expected, too.

“There’s so many guys that have talent in this game — and we’ve seen it — this guy is different,” Yankees hitting coach James Rowson said earlier this month. “He’s as talented as they come, but his work ethic is unbelievable. It’s relentless. He’s a perfectionist. He wants every swing to be good. He works at every swing. He doesn’t take anything for granted. So watching him go through his routine, you almost watch his games and look at him and say that this guy has earned the right to succeed because everything he’s done before the game has been done with a purpose. You expect him to succeed.”

The expectations on Soto were high when the Yankees traded for him, but he’s somehow exceeded all thoughts on what he could have been one month into his tenure. — Kirschner

Home is where The Bronx is?

Soto has said it himself.

“They have made me feel comfortable,” he said, “made me feel like I’m at home.”

Look, it’s no secret: Where Soto plays next season likely will be determined by who gives him the most cash. Money talks, and when you’re confident enough to turn down $440 million from the team you never wanted to leave (the Washington Nationals in 2022), you’re not going to settle for anything less than what you want. Plus, Boras likely won’t allow Soto to take a discount, especially from the Yankees, whom Boras has made lots of money off, especially in recent years. Boras’ clients also include Carlos Rodón and Gerrit Cole.

But, as they say, the little things matter. So far, the Yankees have passed a crucial test. They have made Soto enjoy playing with them. He’s said that Aaron Judge has embraced him, and other players have gone out of their way to make sure he feels welcome. He’s loving working with assistant hitting coach Pat Roessler, whom he knows from his Nationals days. Watch him interact with Judge and Alex Verdugo in the outfield. The trio loves to play with the crowd, and it’s helped them bond.

The Yankees’ clubhouse will be the third Soto has called his own. Can they continue to make it so comfortable that he never wants to leave? — Kuty

(Photo of Juan Soto: Stacy Revere / Getty Images)