New York Yankees slugger Juan Soto is ready to sit down and stay awhile. Soto says he is getting a bit tired of changing teams every few seasons and wants to stick with one place to finish out his MLB career.
“It’s a little uncomfortable wearing different jerseys and changing teams,” Soto said at All-Star game media day, per ESPN and reported by the New York Post. “I’m looking forward to wearing one for a long time.”
That's cautiously good news for Yankees fans, who are hoping the team signs Soto to a long-term contract. The slugger has moved around a lot in the last five seasons, playing for the San Diego Padres, Washington Nationals, and Yankees.
Juan Soto is having a great season for the Yankees
Juan Soto has helped the Yankees offense reignite this season after a disappointing 2023 campaign. Soto and Aaron Judge power the Yankees this season, to the most runs of any team in baseball. Soto is slashing at a .295 batting average this year. He has hit 23 home runs and batted in 66 runs.
The slugger is headed to the All-Star game on Tuesday for the fourth straight year. That's an incredible feat, considering Soto has qualified for the game under three different franchises. He went with the Nationals and Padres, before his time with the Bronx Bombers. Soto is one of the most celebrated hitters in the game today. He won four straight Silver Slugger Awards, from 2020-2023. He was the National League batting champion in 2020. Soto also took home the Babe Ruth Award in 2019, the year he won a World Series with the Washington Nationals.
This season Soto charged out of the gate, but injuries have slowed him in the last month. Soto is battling problems with his hand, that had left him in and out of the lineup in June. The outfielder hit very well heading into the All-Star break, with four consecutive multi-hit games before a July 14 contest with the Baltimore Orioles.
It is uncertain if the Bronx Bombers can re-sign Soto. He's under contract for this season only, after coming over from the Padres last offseason. Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner is on the record stating he wants to keep Soto around for the rest of his baseball career.
“Who wouldn’t want to be with a team that wins?” Soto added. “For me, while you’re on a winning team, it’s always good to be there and be a part of it.”
The Yankees are in position to make a postseason run after missing out the American League Playoffs in 2023. The club is 58-40 on the season, but stumbled quite a bit in the last month. The team is second in the American League East, after blowing a two-run lead in the ninth inning to the Baltimore Orioles on July 14.
The All-Star game is on Tuesday. The first pitch is scheduled for 8:00 Eastern. Yankees fans are certainly going to be cheering for Soto as the American League goes for the victory.
