Added star power evident as Yankees start off with Astros
The addition of Juan Soto to a lineup already featuring the most prolific slugger in the game was the type of bold gambit the New York Yankees have executed throughout their storied history. Soto, a three-time All-Star, four-time Silver Slugger and one-time batting champion, brings to the Bronx an established pedigree of greatness. His joining Aaron Judge — a five-time All-Star, three-time Silver Slugger and 2022 American League MVP — in pinstripes gives the Yankees a legitimate claim as the best team in the AL East,
a desired designation after the club missed the postseason for the first time in seven seasons. But with the Yankees’ season opener on Thursday against the host Houston Astros comes the acknowledgment that everything isn’t ideal. They will start with two key cogs — ace right-hander Gerrit Cole (elbow) and infielder DJ LeMahieu (right foot) — on the injured list. And while Soto comes with ballyhoo, his arrival offers no additional guarantees. Soto was part of a star-studded yet unproductive lineup with the San Diego Padres. That he was available via trade confirms the reality that a winning club requires more than
an accumulation of talent. “At the end of the day, we’ve got to put egos away and play as a team,” Soto said. “We have to do the little things when it matters. That’s what it takes to get to the next level. The homers, the doubles, the big hits, they’re going to come. But you’ve got to do the little things first to get to that spot.”
