In April, New York Yankees superstar Juan Soto hit a three-run homer high into the second deck to lift the Yankees to an electrifying victory against the Tampa Bay Rays. The next day, with fans expecting more fireworks, Yankees legend Aaron Judge struck out four times in four at-bats, which resulted in him getting booed on his own bobblehead day at Yankee Stadium.
The juxtaposition of those two performances has been a microcosm of how the 2024 season has gone for Judge and Soto so far. While the superstar has soared, the legend has fallen flat.
The Baltimore Orioles walloped the Yankees on Thursday afternoon to claim their third victory in a four-game series. Following the game, Yankees manager Aaron Boone was asked about potentially reconfiguring the lineup.
Aaron Boone open to flipping Juan Soto, Aaron Judge in Yankees lineup
"We'll see," Boone said about flipping Judge and Soto in the lineup.
Soto, who batted second in every game this season, is hitting .331/.331/.589. Judge, who has been third to the plate, is hitting .197/.331/.393.
Perhaps shaking up the lineup could help bring some stability to an inconsistent offense. Much of the blame for the Yankees struggles has been pinned on the captain, and the hope is that having Soto bat thiird would give Judge better pitches to hit with more protection behind him.
Boone didn't seem as open to the idea during an appearance on the "Talkin' Yanks" podcast in late April.
"I don't think switching, flipping Judge and Soto, all of sudden [teams] think, 'Oh, now we're just gonna throw fastballs to Judge,' or 'We're just gonna throw the ball down in the middle the Judge,'" Boone said. "It's a very overstated thing in our game, like, you pitch to the guy out there."
Judge is a five-time All-Star and earned the American League MVP when he set a single-season AL record with 62 home runs in 2022. This season, however, the nine-year veteran has been in a slump. He has six home runs and 18 RBIs through 33 games this year, but he has struck out 40 times in 122 at-bats.
There have been concerns that Judge's struggles are related to his injuries. The 32-year-old suffered a toe injury last season that will require "constant maintenance" for the remainder of his career. He also missed time during spring training due to an abdominal injury.
Soto, meanwhile, is having an MVP season. He is just 25 years old, but he has already experienced the highs of winning a World Series and the lows of being traded. The Nationals traded the superstar to the Padres, and the Padres traded him to the Yankees. On his third team in three seasons, Soto is searching for a permanent home.
The Yankees are 20-12 and only one game behind the Orioles in the American League East. They will return to the Bronx for a six-game series against the Detroit Tigers that begins on Friday.