Superstar slugger Juan Soto spent last season hitting ahead of Aaron Judge in the New York Yankees’ lineup before joining the New York Mets. However, Judge is proving he can thrive without his former teammate. In the Yankees’ dominant 20-9 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday, Judge went 4-for-6 with three home runs, eight RBIs, and a double.
The Yankees’ offense was explosive, launching nine home runs—just one short of the MLB record. They also became the first team in history to have all six of their top hitters go deep in the same game (h/t YES Network). Additionally, they set another historic mark by hitting home runs on the first three pitches of the game, courtesy of Paul Goldschmidt, Cody Bellinger, and Judge (via Sportradar).
Despite the Yankees’ early success without Soto, Judge made it clear that his former teammate’s talent is irreplaceable. “Nobody can replace Soto,” the future Hall of Famer told SNY. “He’s one of a kind, but I think with the guys we added, we were able to fill some holes that we probably had last year.”
Judge, Soto, and Giancarlo Stanton helped lead the Yankees to the World Series last October, though they ultimately fell to the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games.
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After Juan Soto signed a historic 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets, the Yankees responded by acquiring Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt. They also elevated top prospect Jasson Dominguez to a full-time role in the majors. Meanwhile, Soto and the Mets (1-1) are set to face the Houston Astros in their third game of the season on Saturday night.
