With spring training approaching, where will Judge and Soto bat?
The New York Yankees open spring training in Tampa, Florida, with pitchers and catchers reporting on February 15 and the full squad on February 20. That means outfielder Juan Soto, a three-time All-star and two-time All-MLB First Team selection, will arrive in a few weeks. The Yankees acquired the 25-year-old slugger from the San Diego Padres this past December in a trade, giving up several of their top prospects for one of the best hitters in baseball.
The Yankees already have Aaron Judge, a five-time All-Star and 2022 American League MVP. However, both have been batting in the No. 2 spot. Since that spot can only go to one player, who will remain second in the order? Who will make the adjustment?
Judge set the American League home run record in 2022 while batting second. He’s a patient hitter who draws a lot of walks (88 last year in 106 games), showing his ability to get on base. While he strikes out a lot, that’s a trait most power hitters have, with the exception of Barry Bonds. Combining the left-handed–hitting Soto with Judge forms a 1-2 punch that will be devastating. And that’s how they should bat: Soto first and Judge second.
Soto has a high walk rate—more than 100 in the last four years. He has less power than Judge but strikes out fewer times. Getting on base is the key for the leadoff man. Soto can do this, which would mean more pitches to hit for Judge. He’s a decent runner and while not a big base-stealer, that’s not really the Yankee way. The team had 100, ranked 21st in the MLB.
Considering the type of hitters they are, neither is very aggressive. The 3-4 hitters in a lineup must be the attack dogs. They can’t be patient because they’re being counted on to drive in runs. See a strike, swing the bat. For Judge or Soto to bat those slots takes them out of their comfort zone. As the great boxing trainer Cus D’Amato once said, “Round people don’t turn out square.”
First baseman Anthony Rizzo and infielder D.J. LeMahieu are capable hitters in those positions, based on an eye test, not extensive analytics.
The Yankees constantly change their lineup, in this writer’s view to their detriment. Soto leading off and Judge batting second creates some consistency to an area completely overlooked by analytics. It could be a good starting point for a potentially much-improved Yankees offense.
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