"Aaron Judge and Juan Soto were supposed to be Bronx buddies for the rest of their careers. They were the most lethal hitting duo in the game, perhaps ever. Then Steve Cohen threw in a few bucks more than Hal Steinbrenner and the relationship between the two changed, permanently."
"Judge is the only three-time MVP wearing the Stars and Stripes, along with carrying the captain's title over from the Bronx, so this undeniably is his team. Soto also was surrounded by a roster of All-Stars on Sunday, but he stands out as the $765 million slugger for the big-market Mets."
"His Yankees still won 94 games last season, the Soto-less lineup still led just about every offensive category and Judge was named MVP for the third time in four years. And Soto? The Mets took a huge step backward in his Flushing debut, staggering to 83 wins, missing the playoffs."
Aaron Judge and Juan Soto were expected to remain Yankees teammates and form one of baseball's most dominant hitting duos. However, Steve Cohen's Mets offer lured Soto away, transforming them into crosstown rivals. Judge captains the United States World Baseball Classic team while Soto leads the Dominican Republic squad. Judge's Yankees won 94 games without Soto and led offensive categories, with Judge earning his third MVP award in four years. Soto's Mets struggled to 83 wins in his debut season, missing the playoffs, though Soto nearly achieved a 40-40 season and finished third in MVP voting. While Judge remains the superior player, Soto possesses a World Series ring, and a Dominican Republic victory would give him another achievement over his former teammate.
#world-baseball-classic #judge-vs-soto-rivalry #yankees-mets-crosstown-rivalry #free-agency-impact #baseball-competition
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