Aaron Boone Calls Juan Soto ‘a Killer’ Ahead of Yankees-Mets Showdown

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Kristie Ackert | Last updated May 16, 2025 4:37 PM ET

When asked about Juan Soto’s highly anticipated return to Yankee Stadium, New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone didn’t dodge the question.

He also did not sugarcoat the challenge facing his pitchers either.

“He’s a killer,” Boone said bluntly during his WFAN appearance before Friday night's Subway Series-opener.

Then Boone paused, took a breath, and softened his tone about his former player.

“Look, I have nothing but love for Juan. For me, I’ll probably see him out at batting practice. It’ll be great to see him. I got to see him in spring training for a minute. And then, you know… then seven o’clock rolls around, and we’ve got to try and figure out a way to contain him.”

Boone knows exactly what Soto can do.

In his one season in pinstripes, Soto posted a 178 OPS+ with a .288/.419/.569 slash line, belting 41 home runs and driving in 109 RBIs during the regular season. He hit .327 with four home runs, three doubles, and 14 walks across 14 playoff games.

But while he delivered exactly what the Yankees hoped for when they traded for him, his time in the Bronx was brief. So Friday night was expected to be emotional for the Yankees fans who feel jilted by the slugger’s decision to take the $765 million deal the Mets offered him.

But make no mistake. There is very little animosity between Soto and the guys in the clubhouse. Boone has made it clear before that he has a lot of respect for Soto. Aaron Judge has said they are friends.

Once Soto steps into the box, however, the happy reunion will be over and Boone will just be concerned about making sure Soto doesn’t do damage.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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