MLB analyst digs into Yankees' 2025 season performance after losing Juan Soto to rival Mets

The New York Yankees were expected to struggle to fill the void left by Juan Soto after the All-Star outfielder signed for the New York Mets following a remarkable one year in the Bronx.

Soto was the best Yankees player behind captain Aaron Judge, who won his second American League MVP title last season. The star outfielder even eclipsed Judge in the postseason as the Yankees made it to the World Series for the first time since 2009.

The Mets' acquisition of Soto in the offseason onna record deal was expected to hurt the Yankees, especially after the Dominican's MVP-calibre performances at the plate.

MLB analyst Brian Kenny reflected on how the Yankees pivoted strongly in the offseason with the signings of Paul Goldschmidt, Cody Bellinger and Max Friend among their top acquisitions.

Expand Tweet

"What was a bit unexpected is that the Yankees would be able to lose Soto and pivot so successfully in year one. Brian Cashman went to work. Max Fried right away, eight years, $218 million and with the loss of Gerrit Cole, Fried is much more valuable to the Yankees this year than Soto could ever be.

"Paul Goldschmidt, already one year, $12.5 million. He is out-hitting Soto straight up right now. That's a former MVP. It's not just Fool's Gold. He's 37. The Yankees also made a trade for Cody Bellinger and Devin Williams, but those haven't worked out as of yet. If the Yankees aren't feeling the pain of losing Soto now. It only gets better for them moving forward."

Juan Soto's potential replacement gets first taste of Yankees-Mets rivalry

Juan Soto returned to the Bronx for the first time since signing for the Mets on a record-breaking deal in the offseason. He was greeted with boos and jeers by the Yankees fans and Soto's potential outfield replacement, Cody Bellinger, reflected on his first taste of the Subway Series.

“It was loud, it was loud,” Bellinger said. “I wouldn’t say I was surprised, no. But it was definitely loud.”

Bellinger hasn't outperformed Soto at the plate but the former NL MVP has been solid in the outfield, shouldering the burden with captain Aaron Judge. Bellinger went 3-for-5 on Friday, driving in two runs in a 6-2 win for the Bronx Bombers.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

Know More

Edited by Chaitanya Prakash