The Nationals’ historically talented young outfielder was the talk of Yankee Stadium when Washington came to town in June 2018. He was one of the most exciting players in the sport, on a Hall of Fame pace, and the fans in the Bronx all but salivated at the thought of a lineup that paired him with All-Star slugger Aaron Judge. But it was not Bryce Harper who put on a show that week in New York, and it was not Harper who would come to wear the pinstripes.
Juan Soto, then a 19-year-old prodigy, walloped two home runs June 13, 2018, to give his team the win and give the world a glimpse of how he reacted to the spotlight. After Wednesday’s trade brought him from the Padres to the Yankees, that spotlight is trained on Soto again.
The Yankees need Soto. And Soto just might need the Yankees, too.
