Inside The Pinstripes

Year After Juan Soto Heroics, Yankees Are Still Losing

One year ago, Juan Soto clinched the New York Yankees an ALCS win and sent them to the 2024 World Series. With both parties out of contention, all they can do is reflect on what went wrong.
Erin Shapland|
Oct 30, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto (22) reacts with outfielder Aaron Judge (99) after Judge dropped a fly ball during the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game five of the 2024 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-Imagn Images
Oct 30, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto (22) reacts with outfielder Aaron Judge (99) after Judge dropped a fly ball during the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game five of the 2024 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-Imagn Images | James Lang-Imagn Images

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New York Yankees

It is the anniversary of the New York Yankees' ALCS win against the Cleveland Guardians, when Juan Soto showed his worth with a three-run homer to clinch the series and send the Yankees to the 2024 World Series. One year later, Soto's New York Mets and the Yankees are both out of postseason contention, and both teams are back to the drawing board for 2026.

Soto's inspiring moonshot took the Yankees from a 2-2 Game 5 in the top of the 10th inning to a 5-2 victory, and in the bottom of the 10th, the last out of the series landed in Soto's glove.

Juan Soto Left, But Yankees Still Losing

Soto's departure from the Yankees was a sour one, as he famously accepted the highest-paying contract in the history of professional sports to move across town and play for the New York Mets. They outbid the Yankees with a $765 million offer for 15 years (better than the Yankees' $760 million offer), and the rest was history.

Outfielders Cody Bellinger and Trent Grisham, who are both strong possibilities for the Yankees' roster next year, were picked up to fill the hole Soto left, and fulfilled their duty very well. Grisham and Bellinger are both free agents after the 2025 season, and a major question for the postseason is how the Yankees will configure their outfield with or without them. Bellinger is a fan favorite to return for 2026, and while Grisham went quiet in the postseason, he had a breakout season at the plate with 34 home runs (second only to Aaron Judge) and 74 RBIs. He may be less likely to return for 2025, as the larger regular season picture is less inspiring. He batted just .235, beating out only Anthony Volpe for batting average among qualified players.

Though Soto had a strong season with his new team, the Mets once again failed to make the playoffs (despite the steep price of Soto), and Soto's replacements on the Yankees put in strong showings without the staggering price tag. Soto finished this season with a .263/ .396/ .525 slash line, 43 home runs and 105 RBIs. Clearly still a star, it's apparent that the offense the Mets had around Soto wasn't enough to go the distance, and they're right back to the drawing board after so much strife.

Yankee fans mourned the loss of Soto after he gave the team so much hope in the 2024 postseason, and there was a bitterness during the Subway Series when Yankee fans booed Soto at the plate. During that series, Michael Kay of ESPN NY suggested that Soto's reasons for leaving were more complicated than money or personal preference.

"People in the know say that Juan Soto wanted to be a Yankee," Kay said. "He chose the Yankees. But his family wanted him to be a Met so he chose the Mets."

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Erin Shapland
ERIN SHAPLAND

Erin covers the New York Yankees for On SI, reporting on all aspects of the championship chase that comes with a storied franchise. A fan of all storylines, who's looking to bring the latest news and updates to one of professional sports' greatest fanbases.

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