Who is the greatest hitter in MLB right now?
Many would say New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, given that he's in the midst of a career year that could see him break his own record for the most home runs in a single season in American League history.
But if you ask Judge that question, he'd say it's his Yankees teammate, Juan Soto, who is in the middle of an incredible season of his own, and is fresh off hitting three home runs in a game for the first time in his career.
After the Yankees' (Soto's) 4-1 win over the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field, Judge, when asked if he wanted the White Sox to challenge Soto in the ninth inning to give him a chance at a fourth homer, paid his teammate the ultimate compliment while speaking to reporters.
While Aaron Judge reached base four times tonight, which was his 19th game doing so this season, Juan Soto was the focus in his conversation with the media. #YANKSonYES pic.twitter.com/tYQjZCfc6v
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) August 14, 2024
"Well definitely, the game still being close, I want everyone to challenge Juan Soto," Judge said with a smile. "I think usually, I got my money on Juan in that situation. But he did what he did, he passed the baton and gave it to the next guy."
"That's who he is. That's why he's the greatest hitter in the game. You leave a pitch in the zone, he'll do damage but if you don't throw to him, he's gonna let the next guy up there do his thing."
Soto, when told of what Judge had said, immediately returned the favor.
"I'd call him the greatest hitter in the world," Soto said. "I mean, look at his numbers, he's just unbelievable. He makes my job easier. He makes my plate appearances a little bit better."
"When you're hitting in front of a guy like that, you know you'll get a pitch, so he's the greatest in the world."
Soto got plenty of pitches on Tuesday night. The White Sox seemed content to challenge Soto rather than Judge, and the former made them pay with the first three-home run game of his career.
"It means a lot, it's really fun," Soto said of his three-homer game. "It's really cool to see it, and even better to get the win."
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Aaron Judge Hails Juan Soto as MLB's 'Greatest Hitter' After Three-Home Run Game.
