Juan Soto may have gotten everything he asked for this past winter-a record-setting $765 million contract, personal perks, and a fresh start with the New York Mets-but as early struggles mount at the plate, he’s starting to acknowledge what he left behind.
In comments to the New York Post, Soto admitted he’s noticing a difference in how pitchers approach him without Aaron Judge looming behind him in the lineup.
“I had the best hitter in baseball hitting behind me. I was getting attacked more… I was pitched differently last year,” Soto told the Post, reflecting on his 2024 season with the Yankees. The impact of Judge‘s presence in the Bronx lineup clearly gave Soto an edge he now lacks in Queens.
While Soto‘s remarks seemed more wistful than critical, they triggered unease among Mets fans-particularly because of how they might reflect on Pete Alonso.
The Mets slugger is off to a red-hot start, hovering near .400, yet Soto‘s nostalgia for Judge left some questioning whether he truly values the protection Alonso is currently offering. Judge himself responded with calm professionalism.
“I’m not really going to go back and forth with this,” Judge told reporters. “He’s got probably one of the best hitters in the game behind [him] right now in what Alonso is doing. It has been fun to watch. He’s hitting close to .400. He’s driving the ball all over the field, driving guys in.”
Money came with perks, but at a cost to lineup comfort
Inside the Yankees organization, however, the reaction to Soto‘s comments wasn’t quite as diplomatic. According to NJ.com’s Bob Klapisch, one anonymous member of the Yankees front office offered a blunt take: “What did he expect? Dude wanted his money; he got it. But he gave up a lot, too.”
And that’s the reality Soto now faces. His year in pinstripes gave him the rare gift of hitting in front of one of the most feared bats in baseball.
With Judge behind him, Soto saw more fastballs, fewer walks, and far more chances to attack. In his current Mets lineup, even with Alonso performing at an MVP level, pitchers aren’t giving him the same treatment.
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