Will Shohei Ohtani (LA Dodgers) have a contract that can match the astronomical amount this winter? New York Yankees players in the Major League Baseball hope that Juan Soto (26) will do so.
The New York Post, a U.S. media outlet, said on the 20th (Korea Standard Time), “After the Yankees confirmed their advance to the World Series, there were voices at the clubhouse saying, ‘I have to renew my contract with Soto for $700 million (about 958.6 billion won).”
The Yankees won 5-2 after 10 extra innings in Game 5 of the 2024 MLB American League Championship Series against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio.
Yankees starter Carlos Rodon hit an RBI double by Bonnaylor in the bottom of the second inning and Stephen Kwan in the bottom of the fifth inning, leaving the team without completing the fifth inning. However, Giancarlo Stanton hit his fourth home run of the ALCS with a tying two-run shot in the top of the sixth inning, balancing the game 2-2.
After failing to decide the winner in the regular innings, the two teams headed to overtime. In the top of the 10th inning, the Yankees created a chance for the first and second bases as the opposing infielders failed to handle Alex Verdugo’s ground ball following a walk by Austin Wells after one out.
Gleyber Torres was struck out by a swing and miss, but Soto became the troubleshooter. After making four fouls in a row against Cleveland pitcher Hunter Gaddis, he hit a high fastball on the outside for the seventh time. The hit continued to stretch and became a three-run homer over the fence. Soto expressed his joy by roaring toward the dugout.
Afterwards, Luke Weaver, who came up from the ninth inning, neatly stopped the inning except for a single hit in the bottom of the 10th inning to end the game. The Yankees, who recorded 4-1 in the series, confirmed their 41st career advance to the World Series and 15 years after 2009.
Soto’s role in the Yankees’ trip to the World Series was indispensable. He had a batting average of 0.368 (seven hits in 19 at-bats) with three homers and six RBIs in five ALCS games with an OPS of 1.373. Although he failed to win the MVP title due to Giancarlo Stanton who hit four home runs, he displayed performance comparable to his.
As a result, teammates desperately wanted Soto to renew his contract. According to the media, third baseman jazz Chisome Jr. shouted, “Give Soto a big prize! I think we need to renew our contract for 700 million dollars.” Stanton also said, “Soto should stay in the team. Our team needs to win, and we need to save Soto for that.”
Soto will appear in the free agent market after the end of this season. Having made his Major League debut with the Washington Nationals at the age of 20 in 2018, he joined the Yankees’ uniform through trade this season after playing with the San Diego Padres. In 936 games, he has a batting average of 0.285 (934 hits in 3,280 at-bats), 201 homers, 592 RBIs and 655 runs scored, and an on-base-plus-slugging percentage of 0.421 with a 0.532 slugging percentage and an OPS of 0.953.
He had a batting average of 0.288 with 41 home runs, 109 RBIs, 128 runs and OPS of 0.989 this season. He hit the 40-homer mark for the first time in his career, and with his unique patience, he drew 129 walks and displayed an on-base percentage of 0.419. As he is still 26 years old, he is expected to play for a longer time.
Earlier, Soto made headlines when he rejected Washington’s offer of 440 million U.S. dollars for 15 years in 2022. In the meantime, Ohtani signed a 10-year, 700 million-dollar contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers ahead of this season in the Major League.
Of course, Otani may have different values as he is expected to perform well both as a pitcher and a batter. However, Soto and Otani are not much different from each other when it comes to bats. While playing for the same seven seasons through this season, Soto’s overall wRC+ (adjusted score productivity) is 158 and Otani’s is 153 (100 is the league average). Soto is slightly superior to him.
As a result, chances are high that Soto will sign a contract that can match the 700 million dollar figure. “I’m so happy to be with this team. I’ve been traded to the best team in my life,” Soto said after the game. 메이저사이트
