BOSTON – Juan Soto came to the plate for the first time Saturday night at Fenway after Yankees leadoff hitter Anthony Volpe struck out swinging off Red Sox right-hander Cooper Criswell.
Soto looked at a cutter who was in the zone and called for a strike, then made a good changeup that almost painted the outside corner for the second strike.
Down 0-2 in the count, Soto stared at the pitcher for a few seconds with his bat on his shoulder, then the left-handed hitter called time out and stepped out of the box to take a practice swing.
What was going through the mind of one of the most feared hitters in the majors?
“Don’t strike out,” Soto said with a smile after the Yankees lost 8-4.
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The pitcher had the advantage, but it’s not as big when Soto is hitting.
“I’m not afraid of going 0-2,” he said. “I’m right there. I’m fighting every pitch. I don’t care if I have two strikes. I’ll be working the entire at-bat.
This was routine.
Soto fouled off the third pitch to keep the count at 0-2, then maintained discipline by not chasing a high cutter and then a low changeup and sweeper to complete the count.
The next pitch was a nice libero off the outside corner that Soto botched by fouling him back, then revised his swing on a high cutter for an eight-pitch walk that was a thing of beauty for baseball purists who appreciate the good plays. -bats.
“It’s almost like we’re just getting started once it gets to 0-2,” coach Aaron Boone marveled. “This is just beginning. “What he continues to do is impressive.”
This was just the beginning of another good night for Soto, who walked again in the fifth and hit a two-out home run with no one to center field in the seventh off Sox reliever Justin Slaten that brought the Yankees within reach. two runs at 5-5. 3.
Meanwhile, Soto set a personal record. There are now 11 straight games in which he has reached base at least twice.
That’s hard to do. No Yankee has gone beyond 11 in a row since Mark Teixeira’s 12-game streak in 2010.
“It’s very good,” Soto said. “I’m just trying to get on base for the guy hitting behind me. I try to give the team a chance to win a game. That’s all it is.”
The Yankees are winning more than anyone and Soto got on base more than anyone.
After Saturday’s loss, the Yankees had an MLB-best 50-23 record and Soto’s .435 on-base percentage was the highest in the majors.
Soto’s 11-game streak of reaching base at least twice began June 1 when he singled and tripled in a win at San Francisco and was five when he missed a pair of games with inflammation in his forearm.
Almost a week ago, Soto says his left arm is almost normal.
“It’s working pretty well,” he said. “I made a couple of pitches and it was pretty good. He has been reacting very well. In the morning when I wake up, I relax a lot. We don’t have to work too hard on it. Little by little we are reaching 100 percent.”
The injury, which gave Soto and the Yankees a big scare until an MRI revealed no ACL tear and therefore no season-ending Tommy John surgery, never affected his hitting.
In his first season with the Yankees, Soto is one of the early favorites for American League Most Valuable Player along with teammate Aaron Judge.
His statistics place him in the fight for a Triple Crown. He ranks among the league leaders with 18 home runs and 55 RBIs in 70 games and a second batting average of .319. He also ranks second in the American League with 54 walks.
As a hitter, Soto is the total package, which is why he’ll likely get a contract worth at least $550 million from the Yankees, Mets or anyone else next winter when he hits the free agent market.
“The most impressive thing about (Soto) is his ability to get on base,” said Yankees third baseman DJ LeMahieu, a two-time batting champion who appreciates good hitting. “He can also hit the ball very far, but what sets him apart is his ability to see the ball and have very good at-bats.”
Soto’s consistency is another separating factor. He has reached base safely 62 times in 70 games and at least twice in 45 occasions.
How does Soto stay so consistent?
Is the answer simple? Is a great player. There is more?
“I come to play every day,” Soto said. “It doesn’t matter how things go. “If it goes well, if it goes badly, I come to the field to play no matter what.”
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You can contact Randy Miller at rmiller@njadvancemedia.com.
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