Aaron Judge’s emoji response to Juan Soto’s birthday post says it all

New York Yankees slugger made his opinion on Mets star Juan Soto's recent birthday post extremely clear.

Oct 2, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (99) stands on the dugout steps prior game three of the Wildcard round for the 2025 MLB playoffs against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

While it feels like ages ago, given everything that has happened since, the Juan Soto sweepstakes that captivated the baseball community last winter (and ended up with Soto signing a historic 15-year, $765 million deal with the New York Mets) still wasn't in full swing this time last year.

This is because Soto's season with the New York Yankees was still underway last October. And while it was known that he was going to become a free agent, his focus was on bringing the Yankees a World Series.

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That didn't happen. And in the wake of New York coming up short against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2024 Fall Classic, there was a lot of speculation about the relationship Soto had with Yankees slugger and 2024 AL MVP, Aaron Judge.

Sep 6, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (99) and New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto (22) celebrate after scoring agianst the Chicago Cubs during the third inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

That's not to say that there was any bad blood between these two superstars. However, a November 22, 2024, X post from SNY quoted Judge saying, "Yeah, I haven't talked to him at all," when asked about deciding how much to speak to Soto about free agency this offseason.

"I talked to him all season and he knows how we feel about him. And I think the most important thing is [to] now let him do his thing with his family, pray about it, talk with people, and come to the right decision for him and his family. So yeah, I haven't talked to him at all," Judge added.

Aaron Judge says he has not spoken with Juan Soto at all since the end of the World Series:

"I think the best thing is to really give those guys space. I talked to him all season and he knows how we feel about him." pic.twitter.com/KAEPWjoCwY

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) November 22, 2024

These comments raised a lot of eyebrows about the strength of their relationship, especially once Soto made his free agency decision. Perhaps Judge regrets not doing more to persuade Soto to return to the Bronx. Not that Mets fans are upset about his silence.

Aaron Judge Laughs Off Juan Soto's Viral Birthday Post

While they're no longer teammates, it seems that Judge and Soto still have a solid friendship with each other. And this was conveyed in the wake of Soto's viral Instagram post that showed him dancing with his family while adorned in a gigantic, glittering chain that said "Derby Champ" on his birthday, which was on October 25.

The post has 6.3 million views and about 420,000 likes at this point. And the post's top comment is from Judge, who simply wrote, "🤣".

JUDGE LMAOOOO pic.twitter.com/2HZoHjJKUO

— alyssa (@schlittlerera) October 26, 2025

Of course, there isn't a ton to be gleaned from a single emoji. But the fact that Judge commented in the first place shows that these two stars' relationship is still in a solid spot, despite their radio silence after last year's World Series and Soto choosing New York's NL team in free agency.