Video: Juan Soto Open Contract from All Teams in MLB Free Agency After Yankees' Loss
Oct 31, 2024
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 30: Juan Soto #22 of the New York Yankees walks during the first inning of Game Five of the 2024 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Yankee Stadium on October 30, 2024 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Let the Juan Soto sweepstakes begin.
All eyes now turn toward the slugger's impending free agency after his New York Yankees lost the World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was asked about his mindset going into the offseason after Wednesday's Game 5 and didn't close the door on any teams.
"I feel like every team has the same opportunities when I go into free agency," Soto told reporters.
He was also specifically asked about the New York Mets and echoed those thoughts when he said, "I don't know what's the teams that are going to come after me. Definitely, I'll be open to this and every single team. I don't have any doors closed. I"m gonna be available for all 30 teams."
"I feel like every team has the same opportunities when I go into free agency."
-Juan Soto on if the Yankees have an advantage in his free agency
Juan Soto was asked if he expects the Mets to go after him in free agency:
"I don't know what's the teams that are going to come after me. Definitely, I'll be open to this and every single team. I don't have any doors closed. I"m gonna be available for all 30 teams pic.twitter.com/3VICeWeney
For his part, Yankees teammate Aaron Judge expressed his hope Soto would return to the Bronx Bombers and said, "We were definitely lucky to have him here, and it would be great to keep playing with him because he's definitely a special player."
Aaron Judge was asked if he's thought about tonight possibly being Juan Soto's last game as a Yankee:
"We were definitely lucky to have him here and it would be great to keep playing with him because he's definitely a special player." pic.twitter.com/hrXXf5nK7h
While Soto kept his options wide open with the comments, the reality is every team will not be in the running to sign him.
ESPN's Jesse Rogers noted he likely won't reach the $700 million deal Shohei Ohtani received from the Dodgers last offseason but will still ink a contract that "will certainly be rich."
Soto was even asked about possibly signing a deal for more than $600 million and said, "It's a lot of money that people are talking about here and there, but definitely we are going to shake it out."
There are only a handful of teams in the league that will even entertain such a deal for one player, and the two in New York are likely on the list.
After all, the Mets and Yankees topped the league in 2024 payrolls with the Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies and Dodgers rounding out the top five. The Mets make sense as a potential destination, as he is already familiar with New York and could provide the missing piece to help them take the next step after reaching the National League Championship Series.
Pete Alonso is also an impending free agent, meaning they could be in the market for another slugger if the power hitter leaves.
They also fit the bill as a team in the middle of a winning window, which Soto said is important.
"I feel like everybody wants to be on a winning team," he said. "That's one of the biggest things that you look up to. You want to be part of this. Even if you don't make it to the last team standing, you want to be involved in all these [games], so I think that's one of the biggest things I'm looking for."
Soto is the rare generational superstar who is available in free agency in the middle of what figures to be his peak at 26 years old. He already has a list of accomplishments that includes a World Series title, a batting title, four Silver Sluggers and four All-Star Game nods, and he was excellent this past season for the Yankees.
He slashed .288/.419/.569 with 41 home runs, 109 RBI and a league-best 128 runs and then hit .327 with four home runs in 14 postseason games as New York reached the World Series.
The next team that signs him could have him for more than a decade. To hear him tell it, that could be any team.
Aaron Boone 'Heartbroken' After Yankees' 2024 World Series Loss vs. Dodgers in Game 5
Oct 31, 2024
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 30: Manager Aaron Boone of the New York Yankees looks on during batting practice before playing the Los Angeles Dodgers during Game Five of the 2024 World Series at Yankee Stadium on October 30, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
The New York Yankees had Game 5 of the World Series under control, leading 5-0 after three innings. But a series of mind-boggling defensive errors and the inability to generate much more offense beyond the early flurry led to a shocking 7-6 loss, as the Los Angeles Dodgers capitalized on the mistakes and clinched a title in Yankee Stadium.
"I'm heartbroken," an emotional Aaron Boone told reporters after the game. "It doesn't take away my pride of what that means to me and what that group forged this year, and what we've been through to get here. But I'm heartbroken. And I'm heartbroken for those guys that poured so much into this. The ending is cruel."
"I'm heartbroken. It doesn't take away my pride of what that means to me and what that group forged this year"
Boone said the clubhouse was initially closed to reporters after the game as Yankees players consoled one another following the difficult loss.
"This is a very difficult moment for us. As I said to the guys, obviously it stings now. This is gonna sting forever. There were a lot of heartfelt messages to each other"
The fifth inning, in particular, was brutal for the Yankees. Aaron Judge dropped a routine fly ball in center field, Anthony Volpe made a throwing error attempting to get a force out at third base and Gerrit Cole didn't cover first base on a weak ground ball, allowing Mookie Betts to beat Anthony Rizzo at the bag and extend the inning.
When the dust had settled from those mistakes, the Dodgers pushed five runs across the plate, evening the game.
Aaron Boone recaps the the pivotal 5th inning of Game 5 and the journey to the World Series. pic.twitter.com/KB8jzZ9Nk3
"Obviously, we had a rough inning tonight," Boone said regarding the fifth.
It was a frame that will live on in New York sports infamy. Perhaps the Yankees wouldn't have pulled off the reverse sweep even if they had won Game 5, with the final two games of the series back at Dodger Stadium. But they didn't give themselves the chance to find out.
Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers Win World Series vs. Yankees, Thrill MLB Fans with G5 Comeback
Oct 31, 2024
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 30: Members of the Los Angeles Dodgers pose for a team photo on the field after defeating the New York Yankees in Game 5 of the 2024 World Series presented by Capital One between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday, October 30, 2024 in New York, New York. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
How would you describe the Los Angeles Dodgers' title-clinching, 7-6 comeback win—after they trailed 5-0 following the first three innings—over the New York Yankees in Game 5 of the World Series?
THE FINAL OUT BEFORE CHAMPIONSHIP NO. 8 FOR THE DODGERS 🏆
Here are a few suggestions. Mix and match at your own discretion.
Wild. Wacky. Bonkers. Bananas. Incredible. Electrifying. Mystifying. Shocking. Stunning. Memorable. Magical. Heartbreaking. Iconic. Astonishing. Remarkable. Jaw-dropping. Epic. Outrageous. Exciting. Exhilarating. Unbelievable. Outstanding. Demure (OK, definitely not demure, just making sure you were still following along).
There were heroes for the Dodgers (Freddie Freeman yet again, Mookie Betts, Teoscar Hernández, basically the entire Los Angeles pitching staff) and goats for a Yankees team that crumbled defensively, making just about every conceivable mistake possible—even catcher interference and a balk!
The Yankees’ 5 unearned runs allowed tonight are the most in any World Series clincher.
We'll break down every key moment from the game in a bit. But first, here were some of the adjectives—and reactions—that social media offered as the Dodgers pulled off a comeback for the ages:
This Dodgers team is amazing. Best team in baseball all year. Terrific, talented, Tough, clutch, gutty, gritty. Dealt with adversity all year. Beautiful baseball machine. Beyond worthy champion. Congrats to amazing Dodgers fans and very likable team.
Congrats to Dodgers. Well deserved. Some are going to point to their high payroll this season but they overcame a ton of injuries to win this World Series. Freddie Freeman endured family trauma and fought through bum ankle to lead them. He has 2 titles in 4 seasons with 2 teams.
The Yankees were a team that made foolish mistakes, had lack of effort, bad base running all season. Manager rarely held anyone accountable and … it bit them in the butt and cost them the World Series. Frustrating.
The first was New York's offensive explosion in the first three innings, highlighted by Aaron Judge's two-run homer in the bottom of the first, Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s solo shot one batter later and Giancarlo Stanton's dinger in the third.
The second chapter was a wild top of the fifth for the Dodgers.
New York's horrible fielding—highlighted by Judge's surprising drop in center field, an Anthony Volpe throwing error and Gerrit Cole's failure to cover first base on what should have been an inning-ending groundout—opened the door for a big frame, and the Dodgers pounced.
Judge is not able to make the grab on that one, and the Dodgers have 2 on with nobody out!
That half inning would be a great tutorial for young baseball players to learn the importance of focus and fundamentals, of hustling from the mound to running out every ground ball. The Yankees failed at fundamental baseball and the Dodgers excelled at it.
The third chapter was a more subdued version of the second.
After Stanton gave the Yankees the lead in the bottom of the sixth with a sacrifice fly, the Dodgers loaded the bases twice in the top of the eighth inning. Both times, sacrifice flies—first from Gavin Lux and then from Betts after Shohei Ohtani reached base on catcher interference—gave the Dodgers their first lead of the game.
THIS GAME.
The Dodgers tie it up again after the sac fly from Lux!
And then there was the fourth and final chapter, and it was the most anticlimactic. With six outs remaining, the Yankees couldn't manage to push a run across, as the Dodgers' bullpen—which was called upon to handle 7.2 innings in this game—silenced the very same offense that hammered starter Jack Flaherty.
So deep did the bullpen have to dig that closer Blake Treinen threw 2.1 innings, while Game 3 starter Walker Buehler was called upon to get the save.
That's how wonderfully weird this game was, at least from L.A.'s perspective. In New York, the choice of adjectives will skew definitively more negative. We'll leave those up to your own imagination.
The New York Yankees found their offense Tuesday night, so the 2024 MLB World Series found a pulse. Backed all the way against the wall in an 0-3 hole, the…
Yankees' Aaron Boone: 'Hopefully We Can Go Be This Amazing Story and Shock the World'
Oct 29, 2024
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 28: Manager Aaron Boone of the New York Yankees speaks to the media during a press conference before the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers during Game Three of the 2024 World Series at Yankee Stadium on October 28, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)
New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone expressed hope Monday night that his team has what it takes to pull off the biggest comeback in World Series history.
Speaking to reporters after the Yankees' 4-2 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 3 to fall behind 3-0 in the series, Boone discussed the team's plan and mindset (beginning at the 3-minute mark):
"We're trying to get a game tomorrow," Boone said. "OK? That's where our focus lies. Hopefully we can go be this amazing story and shock the world."
If the Yankees overcome a 3-0 deficit to win their 28th World Series championship in franchise history, they will become the first team in MLB history to win the World Series after going down 3-0.
Only one MLB team has ever won a seven-game playoff series after falling behind 3-0, and the Yankees were on the wrong side of it, as they fell in seven games to the Boston Red Sox in the 2004 American League Championship Series.
During the regular season, the Yankees led MLB with 237 home runs and were third in runs scored with 815. They also have the likely American League MVP in Aaron Judge, plus Juan Soto, who stands a strong chance of finishing in the top three of the MVP voting.
Despite that, the Bronx Bombers have largely looked listless during the World Series thus far, scoring a grand total of seven runs in three games.
New York's bats were mystified in Game 3 by Dodgers starter Walker Buehler, who was 1-6 with a 5.38 ERA in 16 regular-season starts coming off his second Tommy John surgery.
Buehler allowed only two hits and two walks with no runs over five innings, and it wasn't until the ninth inning that the Yanks scored their first runs of the game when Alex Verdugo hit a two-run home run with two outs.
The vibes have been off for the Yankees ever since Game 1 when they lost on a walk-off grand slam by Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman after leading 2-1 in the eighth inning and 3-2 in the 10th inning.
L.A. has been in firm control of the series ever since, and it would now take an all-time meltdown to prevent the Dodgers from winning their eighth World Series title.
The Yankees should have the pitching advantage in Game 4 on Tuesday night, as they will start Luis Gil, while the Dodgers are planning to go with a bullpen game.
If New York's bats are able to wake up and burn out Dodgers manager Dave Roberts' pen in Game 4, perhaps the Yankees have some hope of winning Game 5 as well and sending the series back to Los Angeles.
Aaron Judge Takes Blame, 'Definitely' Letting Yankees Down for 'Not Doing My Job'
Oct 29, 2024
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 28: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees reacts after being walked in the eighth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during Game Three of the 2024 World Series at Yankee Stadium on October 28, 2024 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
The first World Series game in the Bronx since 2009 wasn't enough to break Aaron Judge out of his playoff funk, as the AL MVP favorite finished 0-for-3 with one walk in the New York Yankees' 4-2 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 3 that has them on the brink of being swept.
Judge told reporters after the game he "definitely" feels like he is letting the Yankees down by "not doing my job" right now (starts at 2:29 mark).
Even as the Yankees went 7-2 in the first two rounds of the playoffs, Judge was not a huge contributor to that success. He is hitting .140/.278/.302 with three extra-base hits (two home runs) and 20 strikeouts in 54 plate appearances this postseason.
If you go back to Game 3 of the ALCS, Judge has struck out 14 times in his last 25 at-bats. Monday's game marked the first time he hasn't struck out more than once since Game 2 against the Cleveland Guardians.
Judge is not the only problem for the AL champs right now, but his status as the biggest star on the team makes his struggles stand out. The entire lineup is hitting a combined .186/.284/.294 with 31 strikeouts in 102 at-bats.
Carlos Rodón and Clarke Schmidt have combined to throw as many innings in the past two games as Gerrit Cole did in Game 1 (six). Giancarlo Stanton is the only player with more than one extra-base hit in the series.
The Yankees bullpen has largely done a good job of containing Los Angeles' lineup. They've only allowed one run in 11 innings over the past two games since Freddie Freeman's walk-off grand slam in Game 1.
Fans at Yankee Stadium tried to give Judge a confidence boost by giving him a standing ovation prior to his first plate appearance in Game 3.
Judge and the rest of the Yankees need to figure things out in a hurry or else they will be watching the Dodgers celebrate a title on their home field. Game 4 of the World Series will be played on Tuesday at 8:08 p.m. ET.
The Yankees haven't been swept in the World Series since 1976 against the Cincinnati Reds.
Aaron Judge, Yankees Offense Ripped By MLB Fans in World Series G3 Loss vs. Dodgers
Oct 29, 2024
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 28: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees looks on during Game 3 of the 2024 World Series presented by Capital One between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Monday, October 28, 2024 in New York, New York. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
The New York Yankees are one game away from elimination.
New York's offense was missing until it was too late as it lost Game 3 of the 2024 World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-2. Los Angeles is now in full control of the series with a 3-0 lead and had no trouble maintaining its momentum even after things shifted to Yankee Stadium.
Freddie Freeman provided the biggest offensive fireworks with a two-run homer in the first inning, while Mookie Betts and Enrique Hernández added RBI singles. But it was the Dodgers' pitching that proved to be the biggest difference, as New York didn't score until Alex Verdugo's two-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth.
It didn't help that presumed American League MVP Aaron Judge went 0-for-3 with a walk, and social media had plenty of reaction to the poor offense from the home team:
Aaron Judge is gonna get to the HoF by feasting on 3-4-5 starters in the regular season, which is fine. Plenty of guys have done that. Quit telling me he’s the best hitter in the world though.
My distaste for the Yankees had dissipated a lot over the last two decades, but these dopes somehow turning this epic World Series matchup into a potential 4-game sweep is birthing a new era of hatred in my heart
Everything came up Dodgers in the first two games, and it felt like the Yankees needed a quick start at home to change the vibes. Yet they got anything but that, as Freeman launched a two-run homer off Clarke Schmidt in the top of the first to seize a quick lead.
The slugger, who also homered in each of the first two contests, wasn't the only problem for Schmidt. The New York starter lasted just 2.2 innings and allowed three runs and four walks in a performance his team couldn't afford given its deficit.
FREDDIE FREEMAN AGAIN 😤
He's homered in ALL THREE World Series games so far 🤯
The frustration continued to build for the Yankees in the fourth inning when it looked like they would finally break through offensively.
Judge's deep fly ball died before the warning track, Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s sharply hit line drive was caught by a diving Betts and Giancarlo Stanton was thrown out at home by Teoscar Hernández on an Anthony Volpe single.
TEO CUTS DOWN STANTON AT THE PLATE TO KEEP THE YANKEES SCORELESS 😤
The missed opportunities proved costly as Dodgers starter Walker Buehler cruised through five shutout innings while allowing just two hits and striking out five as he outperformed his counterpart.
It wouldn't be the last missed chance, as Chisholm grounded out with two runners on to end the sixth before Gleyber Torres struck out on a questionable call with two runners on to end the seventh.
Los Angeles used sixrelief pitchersin the final four innings, although Michael Kopech ruined the shoutout by allowing the long ball in the ninth. Fortunately for the National League representatives, they had plenty of cushion.
If the offense isn't better for the Yankees in Game 4, this high-profile World Series will be over much sooner than once anticipated.
Aaron Judge Won't Be Moved in Yankees' World Series Lineup amid Struggles, Boone Says
Oct 28, 2024
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 26: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees reacts after striking out off a pitch from Yoshinobu Yamamoto #18 (not pictured) of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning during Game Two of the 2024 World Series at Dodger Stadium on October 26, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Despite his struggles in the postseason, Aaron Judge will remain in the third spot in the New York Yankees batting order.
Manager Aaron Boone confirmed he had no plans to change up the order ahead of a pivotal Game 3 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
"It's the World Series. No, that's our guy," Boone said. "There's pressure in the series whatever spot you're hitting. So he's our guy and we're confident he'll get it going."
Aaron Boone says he doesn't plan to move Aaron Judge in the Yankees' lineup:
So far this postseason, Judge has six hits for two home runs, six RBI and six runs along with a .150 batting average and a .605 OPS. He's recorded just one hit in nine at-bats through two games against the Dodgers, also striking out six times.
But Boone believes moving Judge down in the order won't take any pressure off of him and he's confident his superstar will get things going. The Yankees need Judge to find his swing soon as they look to avoid going down 3-0 against Los Angeles.
New York's offensive struggles in the series extend beyond just Judge. After leading the majors in home runs during the regular season, the Yankees have just two against the Dodgers—one from Giancarlo Stanton in Game 1 and the other from Juan Soto in Game 2.
The mighty New York bats have cooled off significantly against Los Angeles' pitching as the Yankees have totaled just five runs across the first two games.
New York has had a few games this postseason where its offense has struggled before finding life and leading to wins, and the Yankees hope to follow that trend on Monday. They'll be back in the Bronx for Game 3 in what will be a crucial matchup.
Shohei Ohtani won the American League MVP as a member of the Los Angeles Angels in both 2021 and 2023. He finished runner-up in 2022, when Aaron Judge set a…
Dodgers' Big Edge vs. Yankees Exposed in World Series amid Ohtani Injury, Judge Slump
Zachary D. Rymer
Oct 27, 2024
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 26: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers walks off the field after injuring his arm while attempting to steal second base as they play against the New York Yankees in the seventh inning during Game Two of the 2024 World Series at Dodger Stadium on October 26, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
Two games into the 2024 World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers find themselves in an awkward space between undeniable good vibes and cautious optimism.
The good news? They have a 2-0 lead over the New York Yankees after holding on for a 4-2 win in Game 2 on Saturday.
The bad news? Shohei Ohtani has an injured left shoulder.
The soon-to-be three-time MVP attempted to show off his wheels after drawing a walk against Clay Holmes in the seventh inning, but getting thrown out by Austin Wells instantly became a secondary story as soon as Ohtani began wincing in pain:
Shohei Ohtani leaves the field with a trainer after attempting to steal 2B in the 7th inning. pic.twitter.com/r19pZEurj1
Per ESPN's Alden González, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after Game 2 that Ohtani suffered a subluxation of his left shoulder. His strength and range of motion are good.
"We're encouraged," Roberts said.
It could, in other words, be worse.
At least as of now, there would seem to be a chance of Ohtani returning to his customary posts at designated hitter and atop the Dodgers lineup. And if so, them finishing off their first full-season championship since 1988 will be that much likelier.
For their part, the Yankees would no doubt happily trade places with the Dodgers. If given a choice between a 2-0 lead plus an injured Ohtani and a 0-2 hole plus a slumping Aaron Judge, you take Door No. 1.
The Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani Problem Isn't Terminal
To say that the Dodgers don't need Ohtani would be to attempt to fool everybody, only to end up fooling nobody.
He's a two-time MVP who's fresh off chartering the 50-50 club, and among his inventory of hits in this postseason are some of the biggest the Dodgers have gotten. Heck, he just had one in Game 1.
It is plainly evident, however, that the Dodgers can win without Ohtani at the tip of the spear.
His double in the eighth inning on Friday is the only knock he's produced in eight at-bats of the World Series, yet the Dodgers have outscored the Yankees 10-5.
Even before this point, the Dodgers got through the first two rounds of the playoffs despite only part-time stardom from Ohtani. He was 8-for-13 with two home runs with runners on base, but otherwise went 4-for-29 with the bases empty.
Take a step back and look at the big picture, and what you'll see is a lineup that still has two other MVPs in Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, plus a couple of guys with 30-homer power (Teoscar Hernández and Max Muncy) and what seems like a revolving door of candidates to provide clutch hits at any given moment.
Betts had his turn under the spotlight as he posted a 1.063 OPS in the first two rounds of the playoffs. Now it's Freeman's turn.
He spent the first two rounds of the playoffs doing his time as the core star whose injury didn't hold the Dodgers back. Now it seems as if his bad right ankle is doing much better, as he followed his walk-off grand slam in Game 1 with a solo homer in Game 2.
Also going yard in Game 2 were Hernández and Tommy Edman. You'd expect as much from a Home Run Derby winner like the former, while the latter is now a .429 hitter since Game 1 of the NLCS.
It's all too easy to keep dishing out gold stars. Max Muncy had a record-setting on-base streak earlier in the postseason. Enrique Hernández has as many postseason homers as Babe Ruth, and he had a huge triple in Game 1. Will Smith had a homer in Game 6 of the NLCS that effectively put the game out of reach.
Yet as much as offensive depth alone explains how the Dodgers have won the first two games of this series, they've also changed the narrative on the pitching side.
The Yankees were supposed to have the starting pitching edge, yet Jack Flaherty hung with Gerrit Cole in Game 1 and Yoshinobu Yamamoto just plain out-pitched Carlos Rodón in Game 2. The only hit allowed was a Juan Soto homer as he otherwise fanned four and walked two.
The Dodgers' apparent strength in relief pitching is otherwise holding.
Their bullpen has a 2.45 ERA for the series, whereas the relative shallowness of New York's pen was on full display when Aaron Boone thought it wise to call on Nestor Cortes to face Freeman with the game on the line in Game 1.
It feels like Soto erasure to narrow the Yankees' 2024 regular season down to a simple formula, but I will do it anyway.
When Judge hit, they won. When they didn't, it was basically 50-50.
This is almost literally true when viewed through a home run lens. The Yankees went 39-14 on days when Judge went deep this season. On days he didn't, they went 55-54.
As such, these splits represent a no-doubt-about-it, all-caps PROBLEM for the Yankees:
The 6'7", 282-pound Judge has especially been a non-factor in the World Series, producing only one hit with six strikeouts in nine at-bats. Worst of all, he made outs with ducks on the pond in the ninth inning in both Game 1 and Game 2.
Judge himself knows what he needs to do, which is simply take better swings:
"I think it's trying to make things happen instead of letting the game come to you. That's what it really comes down to... I gotta start swinging at strikes."
If this is nothing else, it's a welcome pivot from the tone that the 2022 AL MVP struck after Freeman kicked the heart of Yankee-dom in the butt on Friday.
It's only fair to note that pitchers have done a fine job of frustrating Judge in these playoffs. He's seeing very little in the heart of the zone, with few fastballs to feast on.
He is nonetheless spot-on about his swings. His decisions have been rough, but his execution has been worse, especially on breaking stuff.
Soto and Giancarlo Stanton have done their darndest to cover up Judge's struggles, combining for 26 hits and 10 home runs thus far.
Yet even with Soto and Stanton contributing a homer apiece in the first two games, it is ultimately impossible to separate Judge's ongoing struggles from the fact that the Yankees are still stuck on 15 years since their last win in the Fall Classic.
This lineup just isn't built to withstand a prolonged power outage from Judge, which mostly comes down to a shocking lack of impact outside of him, Soto and Stanton. The three of them combined for 53 percent of the team's homers in the regular season. So far in the playoffs, they're shouldering 80 percent of that particular load.
Rather than on Gleyber Torres, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Anthony Rizzo or Anthony Volpe, the Yankees don't have much choice but to place their hopes of a comeback on Judge's shoulders. They know he can handle it. He just has to actually do it.
History is already against the Yankees. This is the 93rd time a team has taken a 2-0 lead in a best-of-seven series. In 77 of the previous 92 instances, the club that took the 2-0 lead finished the job.
The longer Judge slumps, the more likely the Yankees are to be the 78th such victim rather than World Series champs for the 28th time.
