"The youngest GOAT in the game" - Yankees' Marcus Stroman hypes 25-year-old rising star Juan Soto on his 2024 All-Star team selection
Juan Soto and the New York Yankees are in the midst of a glaring slump after a strong start to the season. However, the team has three players representing the American League for the 2024 All-Star game on July 16.
Yankees captain Aaron Judge is the most obvious starter for the Midsummer Classic. Judge confirmed his selection with an AL leading tally in Phase 1 of the voting.
Joining his captain in the All-Star team is Juan Soto, who has been an integral part of the Yankees offense this season after arriving from the San Diego Padres in the offseason.
Yankees starting pitcher Marcus Stroman, who also arrived in the Bronx this offseason, celebrated Juan Soto's fourth All-Star nod, lavishing high praise on his teammate.
"The youngest GOAT in the game," Stroman captioned his story.
This is Juan Soto's fourth consecutive All-Star nod, with the previous three coming for the Padres from 2021-2023.
In 88 games with the Bronx Bombers this season, Soto has 21 home runs over 93 hits, with a major league-leading 76 walks, more than justifying his selection for the Midsummer Classic at Glove Life Field, Arlington.
Juan Soto reflects on sharing the All-Star field with Aaron Judge
Aaron Judge's league-leading home run tally has not only seen his stakes rise as an early contender for the AL MVP title but also made him an obvious selection for the All-Star game.
Juan Soto will now be starting in the outfield for the marquee game, and the four-time All-Star is excited for the opportunity.
“It feels great,” Soto said. “He’s an All-Star, an amazing baseball player. More than happy to share the field with him. Now in an All-Star Game, it’s going to be even better.”
Furthermore, the MLB announced Yankees reliever Clay Holmes as part of the bullpen for the 2024 All-Star game. Holmes, making his second All-Star game, had a brilliant start to the season, going 20 consecutive games before allowing a run.
Holmes reflected on joining Judge and Soto for the All-Star game:
“They’ve been incredible. We knew the players they were and what they could do, but I think them doing it, and probably more than what you could expect -- it’s not easy.
"You want to take it for granted because of who they are and what they’ve done, but it takes showing up every day, preparing every day."
Holmes has hit a bit of a rough patch, while the Yankees have struggled overall as a team. Their most recent game against the Boston Red Sox ended in a shutout loss, handing their arch-rivals a series win.