Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
It’s difficult to place any trust in the Yankees right now, and it will take some time following the All-Star break to assess how they’ll adjust in the playoff push.
If anyone does garner trust on the market specifically, it’s Juan Soto — who hasn’t slowed his roll amid the Yankees’ regression.
The impending free agent really can’t afford to with the ambiguity of his contract situation lingering.
Soto has been seeing beach balls all season as he smashes his way to a career year in a full-length campaign (he hit .351 in the shortened 2020).
The left-handed power hitter went 2-for-2 with a home run in his first two plate appearances against Shane Baz on July 11.
Baz escaped in the fifth inning in what would be a no-decision after allowing two long balls.
Baz’s fastball is exhibiting impressive velocity through his only two starts of 2024, but Soto makes his dough on fastballs.
He’s hit 17 home runs and is batting .344 off them.
Of course, there’s always the added advantage for a left-handed batter when facing right-handed pitching.
Soto takes that advantage to another level, batting .301 with 18 of his 23 home runs against righties.
Baz, on the other hand, is exceptionally vulnerable against lefty batters.
He’s letting them hit .417 and reach base 46.2 percent of the time in the 10 ¹/₃ innings he’s pitched so far.
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Bottom line, it’s a top 1 percent contact hitter facing a young, settling pitcher in the Rays’ rotation.
There’s plenty of upside to be had as Soto approaches him Sunday with his renowned plate discipline.
The play: Juan Soto Over 1.5 Bases (FanDuel Sportsbook)