There's a reason why the New York Yankees acquired All-Star Juan Soto — it wasn't exactly for his defense, but that's what was on display on Opening Day.
The Juan Soto era in the Bronx is off to a hot start. The New York Yankees stole a 5-4 win against their archrival Houston Astros on Opening Day, and it probably would not have happened without their newest superstar. The Yankees acquired the perennial MVP candidate in a blockbuster trade with the San Diego Padres in the offseason after their 82-80 campaign was the worst the franchise has seen in a generation. The team's .
Soto had an RBI single that kick-started the Yanks' comeback on Thursday — they were down 4-0 in the second inning, but scored three runs in the fifth, one in the sixth and another in the seventh, while starter Nestor Cortes settled in and relief pitchers Jonathan Loaisiga, Ian Hamilton and Clay Holmes ultimately shut the door. But Holmes ran into some trouble when going for the save, as he allowed runners on first and second with one out in the ninth.
The Yankees acquired Soto to give their offense a much-needed boost, so anything they get on defense is an added bonus — and this was certainly an added bonus. In true Soto fashion, he walked twice in the victory. Entering Opening Day, his career .421 on-base percentage since 2019 is the most in the majors . Soto is slated to be a free agent at the end of this season, so the Yankees are certainly taking a risk, as he'll likely garner at least $500 million in a new contract.
But for now, the Yankees are celebrating, and are, of course, on pace to go 162-0. Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
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