Do New York Yankees Have Best Superstar Tandem In MLB History?

Good luck finding a better duo than New York Yankees sluggers Aaron Judge and Juan Soto.

Aug 13, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto celebrates with outfielder Aaron Judge. / Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Making MLB pitchers face Aaron Judge and Juan Soto in the same lineup is already unfair as it is, but making them face Judge and Soto back-to-back should be illegal.

The New York Yankees have had a lot of great superstar tandems in their lineups over the years, from Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig to Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris. Other teams have trotted out impressive duos as well, from former Boston Red Sox rivals Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz to Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodriguez with the Seattle Mariners.

Based on the numbers, however, Judge and Soto might be better than all of them.

Aaron Judge and Juan Soto are in line to be the second pair of teammates ever to have an OPS+ of 185 or higher.

The only other two to accomplish this? Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig 😳

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— YES Network (@YESNetwork) August 15, 2024

After both homered against the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday, Judge is batting .333/.467/.707 with 43 home runs, 110 RBI and a 224 OPS+. Meanwhile, Soto's been outstanding in his own right, slashing .307/.438/.615 with 34 home runs, 87 RBI and a 192 OPS+.

That's a historic combination, one that not even Aaron Boone can screw up. The only other teammates with an OPS+ of 185 or higher in the same season were Ruth and Gehrig, who did so four times from 1927 to 1931.

With all due respect to Ruth and Gehrig, however, the game is exponentially harder for modern players. Ruth and Gehrig played before MLB was integrated, before night games and before teams played on the West Coast. They traveled less, faced far fewer relief pitchers and saw slower pitches with lower spin rates. The sport was easier a century ago, and thus easier to dominate.

What Judge and Soto are doing has never been done in the integration era. They are having the best year by two MLB teammates in living memory and are making history on a near-nightly basis, so make sure to appreciate them before their magical season comes to an end.