Juan Soto Sends Bold Message in Yankees' Down Stretch

The Yankees' superstar acknowledged the ups-and-downs of the season in response to the team's recent struggles.

Jun 18, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Juan Soto (22) and centerfielder Trent Grisham (12) celebrates after defeating the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees are in a rut.

After a 8-1 loss at home to the Atlanta Braves in a game that was more lopsided than the final score would indicate, the Bronx Bombers have lost six of their last eight games. They still have the best record in the majors and surprisingly remain the only team with 50+ wins as of now, but they only lead the Baltimore Orioles by half a game in the AL East.

But according to superstar outfielder Juan Soto, slumps like this are simply part of every season.

During a postgame interview, Soto was asked about the struggles of pitcher Carlos Rodon, who allowed eight runs in just 3.2 innings after getting off to a strong start this year. He subsequently provided a mature and philosophical answer about the team's struggles, not just Rodon's.

"There's going to be ups-and-downs throughout the year," Soto said. "Nobody said it's gonna be easy to go through the whole year. Nobody says it's gonna be flowers to roll all the way to the World Series. So we have to battle, we have to take it like a man and forget about it, and just keep moving forward."

Juan Soto on the struggles of Carlos Rodón tonight:

"There's gonna be ups and downs throughout the year. Nobody said it's gonna be easy to go through the whole year. Nobody says it's gonna be flowers to roll all the way to the World Series" pic.twitter.com/e6cFBLuBve

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) June 22, 2024

If there's anyone who knows about how hard it is to win a World Series, it's Soto. The 25-year-old generational talent was a 20-year-old prodigy back in 2019 with the Washington Nationals, a team that stumbled early on to a 19-31 record; they subsequently righted the ship and made the playoffs as a Wild Card. With the help of Soto, the Nationals pulled off a massive upset against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS, swept the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLCS, and completed one of the biggest upsets in World Series history by defeating the Houston Astros in seven games.

That ring on Soto's hand serves as a perfect reminder that he knows what it takes to be a champion, despite still being young and in the prime of his career. In addition to his incredible talent, he has resilience, tenacity, and fortitude that makes him an excellent leader; even team captain Aaron Judge, renowned for his team-first attitude, has nothing but great things to say about Soto's role in the clubhouse, especially since they share the same goal.

Answers like this is why the Yankees are so keen on keeping Soto in pinstripes for the foreseeable future: his maturity and leadership perfectly blends with the franchise's winning culture.

Even with this recent slide, the Bronx Bombers are still one of the best teams in baseball, and now it's time for Soto and the gang to remind everyone why they earned that status.