Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Aaron Judge Won’t “Go Back and Forth” on Juan Soto, Says He’ll Be Fine, Praises Pete Alonso

Aaron Judge isn't biting.

Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Aaron Judge isn’t interested in stirring the pot. Juan Soto might’ve sent a ripple through the New York baseball universe with his “best hitter in baseball” comment, but Judge isn’t about to add fuel to a narrative he knows will burn all season long.

Asked about Soto’s remarks, that pitchers attacked him more last year because Aaron Judge was hitting behind him, the Yankees captain did not bite. Just a calm, confident response with some love for the other side of town.

Pete Alonso can't stop MASHING 🐻‍❄️ pic.twitter.com/WVcrbXlrwV
— MLB (@MLB) April 15, 2025

“He’s got probably one of the best hitters in the game behind him right now with what Alonso is doing. It’s been fun to watch,” Judge said. “He’s hitting [.356] and driving the ball all over the field, driving guys in. So they’re going to be just fine.”

What Did Juan Soto Say?

Let’s rewind. In a quote to The New York Post, Soto explained the shift in how pitchers are treating him in Queens.

“It’s definitely different,” Soto told Mike Puma. “I had the best hitter in baseball hitting behind me. I was getting more attacked and more pitches in the strike zone, less intentional walks and things like that. I was pitched differently last year.”

ALSO READ: “15 Years, Not 15 Games”: Jeff Passan Dismisses Drama Around Juan Soto’s Comments

Hard to argue with that – when Judge is looming on deck, pitchers tend to be a little less picky. And with 41 home runs and a .989 OPS in 2024, Soto feasted. Together, Soto and Judge became the first Yankee duo since Mantle and Maris to both smash 40+ homers in a single season. The Bronx was booming again.

But that blockbuster pairing lasted just one year. After the Yankees fell short in the World Series, Soto took his talents (and his $765 million mega-deal) to Queens, choosing the Mets over a slightly lower Yankees offer.

Now, all eyes are on Soto’s start in orange and blue. His numbers, a .250 average with a .392 on-base and three homers, aren’t setting Citi Field ablaze, but they’re still elite in terms of plate discipline. Soto’s drawing walks, grinding at-bats, and quietly getting on base. The power’s coming. He’s not panicking, and neither is Judge.

“I’ve seen Soto now watching the league for so many years, and getting a chance to see him up close, he can look at what I did last April for an example of, he just needs to keep being himself. He’s going to be just fine,” Judge said, referring to his own slow-ish start last season before going on to win AL MVP.

Judge also made one thing clear – this isn’t going to turn into a media-driven ping-pong match. “You can’t replace a guy like Soto. He’s 1 of 1,” Judge added. “That’s why he signed the deal he did, and why all the teams – I think all 30 teams were after a guy like that.” And yes, the storyline between Judge, Soto, and Alonso isn’t going anywhere. But if Judge has anything to do with it, it’s staying on the field, not in the headlines.

Aaron Judge

Juan Soto

Mets

Pete Alonso

Yankees

Mohsin Baldiwala

mlb

Mohsin Baldiwala is a Master’s student in Journalism and freelance content producer who got hooked on baseball through Seinfeld’s hapless George Costanza. The same reason why he’s a Yankees fan. He writes about sports because he believes it can offer a brief escape from the world’s chaos. Even if that means enduring the heartbreak of the 2024 World Series.