Yankees' Superstar Juan Soto Makes 'Promise' to Aaron Judge for All-Star Game

Both Yankee outfielders will be starters for the All-Star Game in Arlington.

Jul 13, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto (left) greeted by outfielder Aaron Judge (right) following his solo home run in the fifth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports / Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports

The 2024 MLB All-Star Game has the possibility of a dream matchup.

The National League All-Star team plans on starting the Pittsburgh Pirates' electrifying rookie pitcher Paul Skenes, but just for one inning. The 22-year-old right-hander is already making a case for being the best pitcher in baseball despite making his MLB debut just over two months ago, with a 6-0 record, a 1.90 ERA and 0.92 WHIP, and 89 strikeouts against just 13 walks. As the first overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, Skenes is already delivering on the incredible expectations bestowed upon him.

Skenes' one-inning limit, however, could prevent him from facing New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, who will be patrolling center field for the American League. Judge is arguably the best hitter in the majors, a status he reinforced with a .306/.433/.679 slash line and MLB-leading totals of 34 home runs, 85 RBI, a 207 wRC+, and 6.3 fWAR. With the Yankee captain batting cleanup in the Midsummer Classic, Skenes can avoid facing him entirely if he pitches a one-two-three inning in the bottom of the first.

But Judge's teammate, Juan Soto, is determined to make the dream matchup of Judge vs Skenes a reality.

"I'll make sure [Judge] faces him," Soto said on MLB Tonight on Monday. "[Skenes] is just incredible, it's incredible to see a guy like that put in the performance he's been doing. You know, as a young guy, he's just coming up and showing his stuff, and it's very electric stuff. But we will see how it goes."

"I'll make sure he faces him." - Juan Soto on a potential Aaron Judge vs Paul Skenes matchup in the #AllStarGame pic.twitter.com/ZZdlEjBCND

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) July 15, 2024

Soto will be batting third in the American League's lineup, directly ahead of Judge. He is guaranteed to face Skenes, along with Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan (batting leadoff) and Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson (batting second);

The left-handed slugger had a brilliant first half himself for the Bronx Bombers, with a .295/.426/.558 slash line, 23 home runs, 66 RBI, and 75 runs scored; his 179 wRC+ is the third-best in MLB (behind only Judge and Shohei Ohtani), while his 5.5 fWAR is the fourth-best (behind only Judge, Henderson, and Bobby Witt Jr.). As such, Soto was named the starting right fielder for the American League in the All-Star Game.

If Soto can find a way to get on base against the Pirates righty, then Judge will get the opportunity to face him as well; an 18.5% walk rate should definitely bode well for the 25-year-old outfielder. While Kwan and Henderson can also increase Judge's odds of facing Skenes (and guarantee it if either of them hit a home run), Soto's plate appearance will likely be the deciding factor in setting up the at-bat of a lifetime for baseball fans.

The 2024 MLB All-Star Game will be played at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, and will begin at 8 PM Eastern on Tuesday.