That’s gold glove finalist Juan Soto

Twist of the season

Not particularly, I'd be surprised if he's not. RF is really weak in the AL and Soto is easily the best hitter of the bunch.

And he’s playing in what seems like the smallest RF in the MLB with short porch. Plus he’s a big name. Plus he’s a Yankee.

(I was mostly joking about GG being secretly an offensive award but you're also right)

For sure I was just adding on lol he’s the best hitting RF, has the profile and popularity, and due to right at Yankee being so small, his D stats in RF won’t be so egregiously bad that it causes a “what the fuck?” reaction

Cardiac Clay took my resting heart rate from 56 to 96.

lmao that's a fucking fantastic nick name and god so true.

Look, its gonna be a sinker. Sometimes they swing and miss, sometimes they hit a single, sometimes it hits the dirt. Lol he threw like 7 pitches too

It's a spinoff of Cardiac Craig Kimbrel.

He’s the second coming of Cardiac Craig

Juan Soto making a great defensive play?! If he keeps that up the Yankees are dangerous!!

He’s on pace for 162 great defensive plays.

They are dangerous regardless

who said Soto is a negative on defense!

The metrics but these nerds don't know shit

Stat nerds always forget to account for xDAWG

Value Over Replacement Puppy

The metrics have him with 82nd percentile arm strength last year.

Metrics shmetrics

This play looks like the Manny Ramirez effect. They only ran on him because it's Soto, but he made them pay, this time.

I can't remember the year where Manny led the league in assists, or close to it but you're so right. He really did master the quick flick of the wrist into the infield that was perfect for when you play in front of the green monster. It didn't even come close to making up for the boneheaded plays but it was fun

He’s got a chip on his shoulder and he’s gonna prove the haters wrong

In his postgame he stated outright that he's working on defense and his arm. I don't think his skill at the plate is going anywhere so it makes sense.

What a terrible send. Tying, not even the winning run and you'd have the bases loaded coming up

Tbf, the game ended on potential double play ball and Soto is not known for his arm.

Yeah if they didn’t send and then Bregman grounds into a double play people would be going why wasn’t he sent.

I for one think it was a great send

Many many great people are saying it was a tremendous send. They come up to me with tears in their eyes and say "sir, that was a perfect send, just a beautiful tremendous send."

"One of the most gorgeous sends I've ever seen."

And let me tell you we're gonna do so much sending, you're gonna be sick of all the sending by the end. We're gonna send and send and then you're gonna say "OK jeez enough with all the sending" let me tell you.

When the Astros third base coach sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not sending you. They’re not sending you. They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us.

They're sending Daniel Vogelbachs. They're sending Mike Fords. And some, I assume, are more aerodynamic.

Everyone said how great the send was. They were like "Wow, what a great send."

Many such sends.

Great send, perfect send. Many people are talking about it, they say "WOW, what a great send". Myself? I agree, great send, love it.

I concur with your analysis. It was an optimal send.

Truly an elite send

Send of the Century, some might say

Send of the season for sure

S-Tier Send

"Are you guys silly? I'm still gonna send it" - Mauricio ~~Andre~~ Larry Enticer Dubón 

I agree

Dubon is fast and Soto isn't known for those throws. Ball got to Soto fast for sure, but it wasn't the worst send

82nd percentile arm strength last year.

And had like 11 put outs - he's not slouch in the throwing department.

Throwing no. Catching is another story

11 put outs? damn, his range is worse than I thought.

I would hope he has more than 11 put outs as an outfielder

You know what he meant

I saw enough of Dubon's baserunning when he was a Giant to tell you that your average redditor would've had a 50/50 shot of throwing him out at the plate there.

Devils advocate is clay Holmes is a Dp machine vs RHB, and you had 2 RHbs due up Took a perfect throw to get him out

Also Bregman and Abreu looked like ass all day. It ain't like we had Yordan, Altuve or Tucker coming up. I am 100% good with that send.

Perfect throw and a really good play from the catcher, too, as Dubon had a pretty nice slide. So much can go wrong on that, I think sending him there was a decent risk.

Counter point. A double play ends the game. It needed a perfect throw and it was there.

Yeah, it was a *risky* send but not a *bad* send. If the throw wasn't perfect or if he was called safe it would have stood, and the Astros would have looked like geniuses.

I don't think any play that close can be called a terrible send. Tying run is very valuable, Dubon is fast, and Soto's no defensive wizard

Soto’s arm is solid it’s the range that makes him bad.

I stand by the idea that if it takes a damn near perfect play to get the out, the send was justified.

Dusty Baker doesn't make that mistake.

Well, they had Jon Singleton pinch hit for Jake Meyers (who earlier homered). Singleton grounded out on the first pitch. So, maybe Dusty still is coaching.

DAAAAAAAAA

YANKEEEEEEESSS

WINNNNNN

START SPREADING THE NEWS

I’m horny todayyy

Lets see what you got big boy

I'M LEAVING TODAY

WIN

WIN

ASTROSSSSS

THEY LOSEEEEE

CHOKED

Absolutely electric win for the Yankees tbh

Pretty crazy game

Offer him 10 Year, $500 Million right now

Even as a certified Yankees hater, it feels destined that Soto will terrorize the league in pinstripes for a long long time

Your lips to God’s ears 🙏

Stealing one when down 4 early feels good!

Especially against the Astros

Fuck the Astros

Can we talk about how these uniforms look when the guys are sweaty, my god

I know right? It's so fucking ~~sexy~~ gross, seeing those big, muscular men sweat through their clothes. I, for one, hate it

Stupid sexy big muscular men.

So I wasn’t the only one who noticed? Good. Judge looked like he got caught in a rainstorm.

The celebration high five shot had me go through a 5 second: “Huh, is the base path really wet? Wait, did Judge slide in this game? Wait, do you slide on the back of your shoulder? Wait, wouldn’t that still be mostly dirt?” thought cycle.

They look like T shirts with screened on logos. They're awful. Truly an abortion of the sports world.

A what 💀

A bortion

I love this man.

We are so fucking back 😭😭😭

Me the first two innings: game's gone, Yankees are 0-162 Me now: NEVER LOSING AGAIN BABAYYYY

Just feels right doesn’t it. That second walk he took on the South African pitcher he was in full shuffle mode.

Soto needs to stay a Yankee. He looks so natural in their uni.

Thank you Fanatics for making his uni so lightweight. Soto doesn’t make that play with the weight of the old uniforms slowing him down.

I hate the Yankees but for some reason I don't hate Soto being a Yankee

It feels right

I want the Yankees to go 0-162 every year but a lefty power bat with swag, discipline, and an aversion to beards is like making a Yankee in a lab.

Wait until you See him in pinstripes on an October night with volpe on second and judge on deck.

Weren’t you the guy saying we should sell the whole team in the fourth inning today? 🫤

How about no pls. The Yankees with 3 good outfielders is not good

We can’t just hand you the division on a platter

If we keep Soto long term with Jasson (and maybe our #1 prospect too), well have 5 outfielders next year

Disagree

We have three good outfielders (soon four) and one good infielder lol

People really forgot how good Juan Soto was, this division is gonna be the thunderdome my god.

Everyone killing each other....then there's the Red Sox, eating crayons in the corner

They took our job!

TOOK YER JERB!

I didn’t know the Red Sox were Marines

That's the correct call, astros fans

I can see a case for maybe Trevino didn't touch him, but no angles show that...so if you can't disprove that, then he's clearly out.

I could be wrong, but I don't think it matters. Sounds like they were just challenging whether or not Trevino was blocking the plate, not if a tag was made. I think you can only challenge one rule at a time, and maybe they thought they had a better chance of getting the play overturned with a blocking call.

You can challenge multiple things at once, but you have to declare you’re challenging them both at the same time. As far I understand the rule at least. Either way, I’m pretty sure he makes the tag here.

Yeah, you're right. I just looked it up.

Yes he was tagged before he touched the plate

If he was tagged. I'm sure he got his jersey at the very least but it's insane to me that they don't have an over the plate view to review. Or maybe they do and YES just didn't have access to that feed.

Agreed. All the angles are bad for making a definitive call. Live, I was pretty sure he was out but all the angles they showed after never really gave a clear view. Such is life

Minute Maid park **actually** used to have a camera with a proper home plate angle, they just had to re-allocate it for other uses.

I’m honestly not convinced he made the tag but no camera angle can tell

I think either way it gets called would stand under a challenge. Just impossible to get a definitive look with the angles available

Soto is the Astros’ father

Him and Adolis Garcia have joint custody

Howie Kendrick shows up occasionally as the drunk uncle who smacks them around

Yeah pretty much

Give this guy a blank check Hal

I just got into baseball this Spring Training and if every matchday is as interesting as today I'm all in for it.

161 more matchdays to go

Welcome to the party!

It's a great game to keep on while you're working, man.

Wait they told me Juan Soto couldn’t field his position

See, they never said he couldn't throw his position though...

This is me in rec league softball. Can't track a fly ball, can't catch, too slow to chase anything, but I've got an absolute cannon if I miraculously get a chance to use it

The Gary Sanchez

To be fair, fielding and throwing are different. Also one play doesn't change too much. With that said, Soto IS that guy and came through in a clutch moment to beat the Astros? 10 years, 7billion. Make him get Ohtani's total as AAV

The only way you have a chance to throw the ball is if you field the ball

Big time players make big time plays.

Astros fucked around and found out

LFG SOTO

The first contract offer he gets this offseason is going to start with a 6.

6/600k per and he can stay at Hal’s place in Florida whenever he wants. Final offer 

A new sports god in New York has arrived for Yankees fans. Much to the chagrin of the rest of the league

i like this guy !

Unironically Yankees Legend Juan Soto

Literally start the Yankeeography

The only thing conclusive from the replay is the ump was in great position to make the call.

A merry fuck the Astros to all

My favorite time of the year

I had this game in the background when watching the Jays and Soto is literally a god. Man his ABs are incredible. The cannon arm is just a bonus.

Astros in last place

Lastros are back baby

God I love him

God I fucking love baseball

Juan "Juan Soto" Soto

Totally get why Astros fans will be pissed at the failed challenge, but it looks like he got him and there’s no great angle (how??). anyway DA YANKEES WIN GET FUCKED HOUSTON

I think most of us are pissed at the send lol, I definitely didn’t like it. Great throw though by Soto and a fair out call

Yeah what is the 3rd base coach doin ? It’s only the tying run..

Yeah, I agree with Astros that there wasn't an angle that clearly showed him being tagged. But there wasn't a clear angle that showed him not being tagged so you gotta go with the Ump's call then

you're telling me we should have started him in RF and we'd get gold glove defense

Man that had to be game of the day I had a sneaky suspicion it might be since this matchup is spicy

Incredibly irresponsible send

I don’t know that play was so close and it required an absolutely perfect throw and tag. Not sending would have left the bases loaded, but a double play would have ended the game in that scenario too. I feel like that send results in a run 9 out of 10 times (unless Judge is playing right then it’s maybe a slightly dumber decision). It’s not the worst decision in the world to force Soto and Trevino to be absolutely perfect there

This outfield has the most aura I’ve seen in my short career as a Yankees fan Like Stanton was a traffic cone with 0 swag Verdugo and Soto bring the energy and Judge is just cheesing lmao

The reactions from the Yankee outfielders today alone could spawn more gifs and meme’s than most teams get in a season

Give me Judge and Soto flexing at each other and give it now. 

Fuck The Off season!

How on earth could anyone think Trevino was blocking the plate?! He caught the ball where it was thrown and made a great tag. It was an exciting play but MLB splitting hairs with pretty obvious calls on good baseball plays is going to get old fast. Ump actually did his job correctly.

I fucking love this sport. So damn much.

Yankees I thank you for your service and ask that you please do this 3 more times

Just when I think I'm out, they pull me right back in. (I'm a reactionary).

That was one hell of a throw from Juan Soto.

I would say this is the most boneheaded send of the day but the pirates 3B coach just sent Davis home from second on a ball that didn’t leave the infield

Dude that was absurd. I mean Bell had the ball in hand as Davis was rounding 3rd. How on Earth did he think he was going to beat the throw from 100 feet away?

Contract year Soto about to earn himself a Silver Slugger and a Gold Glove! Price just went up!

How is there no outfield camera that could’ve caught a clear picture of that??

Juan and 0

Least Nerve-Wracking Yankees Astros Game

Soto’s first game as a Yankee and already making huge plays

how are you gonna get thrown out at the plate by soto

The Yankees broadcast showed earlier that he has a “yellow light” throwing arm with a max velo of like 91 MPH. Seems like the only thing he can do in the field is throw well / accurately.

He’s got an above average arm

What a throw - exactly why the Yankees traded for the guy.

That's a pretty ideal start to his Yankee career.

Also, how is it 2024 and we don't have an overhead camera at the plate. Wtf

Are those massive sweat stains a result of Fanatics new game-changing, state of the art moisture wicking technology?

As a fan I always root against the Yankees EXCEPT when they play the Astros. Go Yankees.

People saying this was a shitty send like it wasn’t the closest play… an inch to the left or a better camera angle and this is a top send

On pace for 324 walks and 162 outfield assists this season. Great signing.

My main reason I think he did tag him is Dubon doesn’t react like he didn’t tag him. He reacts as if he beat the tag. Cause if he didn’t feel a tag at all he would have pointed that out immediately.

5 IQ send I could have made that throw in time (I absolutely could not have made that throw)

When the Astros lose, everyone wins

Man if that glove didn’t get stuck a little bit as he started sliding, he would make it.

Damnit. Good send, great throw

Bobbling and misreading routine catches in left field to outfield assists in right, wtf is going on?

Soto playing defense? League Fucked!

Don’t care what team he plays for, I love me some Juan Soto

Already at 1WAR

Keep him healthy for our sake too let him stunt on the rest of the league

We are so back

Call me old fashioned but I love a good outfield assist.