Seattle, Washington, USA; New York Yankees third base Oswald Peraza (18) and designated hitter Aaron Judge (99) react after the win over the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: John Froschauer-Imagn Images John Froschauer-Imagn Images

Yankees' Aaron Judge Shares Message to Juan Soto

Originally posted on New York Yankees on SI
By Delilah Bourque | Last updated May 19, 2025 12:00 PM ET

All's fair in love and baseball, especially when it comes to legendary rivalries like the one between the New York Yankees and the New York Mets.

Former Yankee Juan Soto was the subject of cacophonous boos — accompanied by a standing ovation — from the crowd at Yankee Stadium this weekend during the Subway Series . Despite the crowd reaction, at least one member of Soto's previous team was happy to see him: Yankees star outfielder Aaron Judge.

In a video shared by the league on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, the former teammates shared a brief embrace and exchanged a few words. The Yankees went on to demolish the Mets 8-2 in the series finale, winning the series 2-1.

Aaron Judge and Juan Soto share a moment before this Subway Series finale on #SundayNightBaseball pic.twitter.com/EaQQ7eh5z2
— MLB (@MLB) May 18, 2025

The video led many fans to wonder what exactly Judge said to Soto during their brief exchange. Following Sunday's win, Judge explained that he was wishing Soto the best and described him as "the best in the game."

"...I hadn't seen him all series. Just kind of wishing him the best, kind of said, 'hey man, you're the best in the game. Things like this are gonna happen, just keep playing your game," Judge said. "It was good to see him, but happy we're going to kinda, either walk him or not let him do any damage, especially in this series."

"Just said hello to him, I hadn't seen him all series. Just kind of wishing him the best, kind of said, 'hey man, you're the best in the game. Things like this are gonna happen, just keep playing your game."

Aaron Judge talks about his conversation with Juan Soto: pic.twitter.com/TvvQYMDoW8
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) May 19, 2025

Soto, a powerful hitter from the Dominican Republic, went 0-4 with two strikeouts during the game, bringing his series total to just 1 hit and 2 runs out of 10 ABs. Judge, who clocked 12 ABs throughout the series, totaled 3 hits and as many runs. The six-time All Star and two-time MVP shared the field with Soto for the 2024 season, leading many to hope for a contract extension with the Yankees.

That dream never came to fruition, however, and Soto signed a 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets last offseason, the biggest contract in all North American professional sports. Comparatively, Judge is contracted through 2032 with the Yankees, with an average annual salary of $40 million.

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