Sandwiched between his time as Yankees hitting coach and hitting coach in Philadelphia, Kevin Long held the same position for four years with the Nationals.
Those seasons, 2018-21, happened to be the first four of Juan Soto’s major league career.
Few people know Soto’s approach at the plate, or his personality, better than Long, now in his third year with the Phillies.
So there was a reunion between the two in front of the visiting dugout prior to Wednesday’s series finale at Citizens Bank Park.
“He’s one of the guys that’s been with me from the beginning,’’ Soto said. “He taught me a lot of stuff, not just about hitting, but how to play in the league. He’s a big part of my career.”
Given that history, Long said he was confident going to the Yankees last offseason — and getting out of San Diego — would do the superstar good.
“I think he needed a change of scenery,’’ Long said. “And the Yankees were a good fit.”
Asked what he believed went wrong for his former pupil, Long said, “I think it could have gone sideways in San Diego with the way it was going. He wasn’t how I remember. It was just harder for him. Now, he feels at ease. He’s comfortable with where he’s at. I could see a difference.”
The main reason is fairly simple — and it’s the same reason Long believes Soto wasn’t happy at the end of his time with Washington, when he got traded to the Padres during the 2022 season.
“He knows what it’s like to win,” Long said of the Nationals having won the World Series in 2019. “He knows how much fun it was. That’s why it was tough for him at the end there, because we didn’t have a chance to win there. That’s tough on a player of his caliber. He not playing this game just to put up these numbers. He’s playing the game to build relationships with his teammates and win, and he wants to do that again.”
Soto is on pace for his best full season in the majors — a product certainly of hitting in front of Aaron Judge, but also of being in a winning culture.
“Going to the Yankees, you always have a chance to win,” Long said. “So him doing what he’s doing there doesn’t surprise me. He’s always been a big-stage kind of guy. I’m proud to see how he’s handled himself.”
Soto has stayed with Long and his family during the offseason in Arizona to work on hitting, and Long said he wouldn’t be surprised if he gets a call from Soto this offseason once Soto hits free agency for the first time.
“I just want him to be happy and enjoy it,’’ Long said. “I know winning is gonna be a big part of his formula and being around winning players is a big part of his formula. He needs that.
“Aaron Judge is really good for him in a lot of ways. He’s a guy you can look at and say, ‘That’s the way you act and play.’ That’s good for him.”
In addition to acquiring Mark Leiter Jr. and Enyel De Los Santos at the trade deadline, the Yankees could also get right-handers Nick Burdi and Scott Effross back in the bullpen at some point down the stretch.
Burdi was reinstated from the 60-day IL Thursday and optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Effross is already with SWB, still knocking off rust after returning from Tommy John surgery and back surgery.
Right-hander Cody Poteet (triceps) was transferred to the 60-day IL.