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Juan Soto Opens Up About Aaron Judge Before Facing Yankees for First Time

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Kristie Ackert | Last updated Mar 24, 2025 11:23 AM ET

Just hours before facing the team he spurned this offseason, Juan Soto offered a rare bit of insight into his time with the Yankees, the club’s failed attempt to keep him, and his relationship with Aaron Judge.

The comments came during an interview on NBC’s TODAY show Monday morning, just before the Yankees played the Mets in the final Grapefruit League game of the spring. Now the face of the Mets and the owner of a historic $765 million contract, it was a rare comment from Soto.

"I loved to watch Judge last year," Soto said. "He was incredible. And how he handled himself is my favorite hitter so far.”

High praise from a player who doesn't hand it out lightly.

The two shared the outfield in 2024—one of the few seasons in recent Yankees history that featured two MVP-caliber bats in the same lineup. Judge hit 58 home runs. Soto hit 41. Together, they carried the Yankees to their first World Series appearance since 2009.

But Soto was always a rental. And it seemed like the clubhouse knew it.

When both Judge and Soto admitted this offseason that they hadn't spoken since the Yankees' final game, it only added to speculation about what kind of relationships Soto actually built in the Bronx. His comment Monday wasn't especially revealing, but it was respectful—and maybe just vague enough to keep the questions alive.

One thing is clear: the Yankees didn’t go down without a fight.

"I mean, [the Yankees] tried the hardest they can, but things happen, you know?" Soto told TODAY. "You gotta go through a lotta things. It's a whole group, family decision that we made. And I think that was the best one, you know? They really tried but we couldn't get it done.”

A much milder window into a process that ended with Soto crossing boroughs than some of his previous comments.

The Yankees were in Port St. Lucie on Monday, watching Soto wear a Mets uniform for the first time. With 15 years ahead of him in Queens, this was just the first chapter in what's shaping up to be a long and potentially heated rivalry.

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

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