'Literally every pitch, it's theater': Soto's at-bats wowing Boone

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David Adler, a reporter for MLB.com, contributed this newsletter item from Yankee Stadium

NEW YORK -- The thing that has stood out to Aaron Boone the most about Juan Soto's first month-plus in pinstripes is not his .338 batting average, or his American League-leading .437 on-base percentage and 1.023 OPS, or his knack for coming up with the clutch hit or how he walks more than he strikes out.

Above all else, what the Yankees manager understands now is this: Watching a Juan Soto at-bat is like nothing else in baseball.

"It's how much of a battle it is. How much of a war it is. Every pitch," Boone said Wednesday -- right before Soto went 3-for-5 with five RBIs against the rival Astros and crushed his team-leading ninth home run of the season.

"And then how theatrical it is. I mean, it's a show."

Soto, of course, has been putting together at-bats like that for his entire career. That's how he carried the Nationals to a World Series championship over the Astros in 2019.

But it's one thing to know how Soto approaches the craft of hitting and watch it from afar. It's another to get a front-row seat to the Soto Show from the Yankees' dugout every single night.

"There's obviously how good he is and how disciplined he is at his craft," Boone said. "But it's just the relentless nature of his at-bats. I've heard all my life [about different players] over the years, 'This guy never gives an at-bat away.' Juan embodies that. He doesn't give a pitch away. It's every pitch, you kind of hold your breath a little bit."

At Yankee Stadium, the effect is only magnified. Every Soto Shuffle after taking a close pitch, every crisp line-drive swing that can drive a baseball out to any part of the field, captivates the Bronx audience.

"You can feel the energy in the crowd," Boone said, before proceeding to reenact how Yankees fans follow every Soto at-bat from start to finish, oohing and aahing as they wonder how it will unfold.

"Literally every pitch, it's theater. That's been fun to witness."

Soto is only 25, but by now he has a longstanding and extremely well-earned reputation as one of the toughest outs in baseball, if not the toughest. The way he competes every time he steps into the batter's box inspires the Yankees … and, ideally, inspires fear in the other team.

"There's just an intensity to it," Boone said. "And I think it highlights the importance of every pitch. Not just in his at-bats, but everyone's. You're kind of like, 'Man, we want to have that kind of intensity and locked-in nature on every pitch.' And you want your opponent to feel that as well."

Boone said the Yankees' desire to approach their at-bats like Soto predates his arrival in the Bronx. But how could having Soto himself in the heart of the order not influence the rest of the Bronx Bombers around him?

"I think, before Juan got here, that's who we always have wanted to be as an offense," Boone said. "He certainly embodies that. And I do think there's been at least a subtle movement of the needle, because of his presence."

The more Juan Soto-esque you can inspire your lineup to be, the better.

"I mean, you'd love to have all Juan Sotos and teach that and bottle it up," Boone said with a chuckle -- probably realizing that there could never really be nine Juan Sotos.

But New York will keep enjoying what the one true Juan Soto brings to this Yankees team.

"If you're in the building, it's a show. It's like, 'Man, this is can't-miss,'" Boone said. "I think it's great when you have different personalities that bring a certain energy, excitement, showmanship. I think that's good for the game."