"He's number 1" - Aaron Judge receives glowing praise from Juan Soto for outstanding leadership skills

New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto didn’t hold back in his admiration for team captain Aaron Judge. Speaking with Jeff Passan on ESPN's MLB YouTube channel "Baseball Tonight," Soto was asked to rank Judge among the future Hall of Famers the latter has played with or against. He answered:

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"He is definitely top 3, but I think he is the first one. How he is carrying himself, how he leads the team—I think he's number one." (Time stamp: 1:36)

Aaron Judge's leadership is not just about his remarkable statistics and on-field play, as elaborated by Soto:

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"He cares about the players. When you see that, it is not fake; it is real. He is really caring about guys—that's what makes him special." (Time Stamp: 1:53).

Juan Soto on Yankees-Red Sox rivalry

The Yankees-Red Sox rivalry has seen the two teams clash over 120 seasons. More than a century old, the rivalry is one of the fiercest in the sport, and the two teams just concluded their ongoing three-game series in the 2024 campaign, with the Yankees claiming victory.

When asked about his experience with the rivalry, Juan Soto said:

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"It's fun, I think it's a really cool experience, and I get to see those rivalries that I have been watching since I was 10 years old. I feel like every time they play against each other, something special happens." (Time Stamp: 2:18)

In Game 1 on July 27, the Red Sox defeated the Bronx Bombers 9-7 at Fenway Park. Aaron Judge led his team's losing effort with one home run and three RBIs. On Sunday, the Yankees took revenge with an 11-8 win. Judge contributed three RBIs with one home run on three hits, while Soto also hit a home run and had two runs batted in.

Game 3, played on July 29, saw the New York Yankees take the series with an 8-2 win. Judge did not hit a home run but had an RBI, and Juan Soto did not contribute any runs. Alex Verdugo and Austin Wells led the scoring charge with two runs each. Carlos Rodon pitched for seven innings and struck out seven batters.

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