New York Yankees Star Having Best Start Since Babe Ruth

Is New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto a modern-day Babe Ruth?

May 7, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Juan Soto (22) hits a single. / Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

For much of his career, New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto has drawn frequent comparisons to Boston Red Sox legend Ted Williams thanks to his otherworldly plate discipline. Williams famously refused to swing at balls and had one of the best batting eyes of all time, while Soto is an on-base machine who spits on pitches an inch off the plate.

Now that Soto plays for the Yankees, however, it's not really appropriate to compare him to a Red Sox player anymore. There are plenty of pinstriped legends to compare him to, including the granddaddy of them all, Babe Ruth (a left-handed hitting right fielder, just like Soto).

In fact, Soto is off to the best start by any player since Ruth himself.

Juan Soto in 38 games for the @Yankees this season:

49 hits, 33 RBI, 26 walks, 9 HR, 4 SB, 25 wins

Since RBI became an official stat in 1920, the only other MLB player (on any team) to reach all of those numbers over his first 38 games of a season was Babe Ruth in 1926. pic.twitter.com/oTlZ5GMMQ1

— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) May 9, 2024

Soto's been doing a bit of everything for New York. Prior to Thursday's game against the Houston Astros, the 25-year-old superstar led the American League in a number of categories, including hits (49), RBIs (33), OBP (.437), OPS (1.023), OPS+ (190) and total bases (85). He'd also popped nine homers, stolen four bases and notched more walks (26) than strikeouts (23) through his first 38 games in pinstripes. Most players go through an adjustment period after coming to the Big Apple, but not Soto.

The last time a player had a statistical start like that, you'd have to go back nearly a century to Ruth in 1926. In Ruth's first 38 games that season, he slashed .384/.500/.835 with 16 homers, 53 RBIs, 31 walks, 51 hits and 49 runs. And while not known for his speed, the Babe also swiped five bases in six tries and legged out a pair of triples for good measure.

Ruth cooled off after that, but not by much. He ended up leading the majors in a host of offensive statistics, including runs (139), homers (47), RBIs (153), walks (144), OBP (.516), total bases (365) and WAR (11.4). The Bambino led the Yankees to the World Series as well, where they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games. If Ruth had been eligible for the AL MVP that year (the rules at the time prohibited repeat winners), he would've won it in a landslide.

Soto's start isn't as good as Ruth's was, but it's not that far off. If he has anywhere near the type of season that Ruth had in 1926, New Yorkers will be over the moon.