Inside The Pinstripes

Yankees’ Dynamic Duo Joins Iconic Rival Tandem in MLB History

Yankees' superstars Juan Soto and Aaron Judge became the first tandem to achieve these numbers since 2006.

John Sparaco

Sep 11, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Juan Soto (22) slaps hands with center fielder Aaron Judge (99) during the fifth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Sep 11, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Juan Soto (22) slaps hands with center fielder Aaron Judge (99) during the fifth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
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New York Yankees’ superstars Juan Soto and Aaron Judge have become one of MLB's most feared 1-2 punches in 2024. On Wednesday, the first-year teammates continued to prove why by accomplishing a feat no duo had matched in nearly two decades.

With the Yankees trailing 1-0 in a pivotal game against the Kansas City Royals, Soto came to bat in the sixth inning with a runner on first and launched a towering, no-doubt home run into the right-field bleachers. The two-run shot, his 39th of the season, pushed his RBI total to 100. Judge, hitting directly behind Soto, leads the league with 51 home runs, 126 RBIs and 119 walks. 

Not only is this the first time multiple Yankees have crossed the 100-RBI mark since Curtis Granderson (119), Robinson Canó (118), and Mark Teixeira (111) did so in 2011, but Soto and Judge also became the first duo in MLB with 100 or more RBIs and over 100 walks since iconic Boston Red Sox sluggers David Ortiz and Manny Ramírez in 2006.

Like Judge, Ortiz led MLB in home runs (54), RBIs (137), and walks (119) that season. Boston’s lineup typically had Ramírez batting cleanup behind Ortiz, a slight departure from the Yankees’ decision to slot their top sluggers second and third. However, Ramírez's numbers still closely mirrored Soto’s, finishing with 35 homers, 102 RBIs and 100 walks in just 130 games. 

Soto is slashing .289/.418/.580 in his first season with the Yankees, while Judge boasts a scorching .320/.454/.686. The duo had recently gone cold offensively, hitting a combined 21-for-103 (.203) with just one home run over their last 14 games. But their combined efforts on Sept. 11 led the Yankees to a 4-3 walk-off win in 11 innings, clinching a key series victory over the Royals. Soto’s sixth-inning homer was his only hit of the night, while Judge reached base three times in five plate appearances. 

Yankees fans have made their feelings clear, as the Bleacher Creatures erupted with "Re-sign Soto!" chants on Old-Timers' Day, eager to see this powerhouse duo remain in the Bronx for years to come. While the 26-year-old superstar is expected to land a mega contract in free agency this winter, the immediate focus is on delivering a long-awaited World Series title to the Bronx—something that has eluded the team since 2009. The next step in that pursuit is a showdown at home with the rival Red Sox, the same team where Ortiz and Ramírez once tormented pitchers—much like Soto and Judge do now.

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John Sparaco

JOHN SPARACO

John Sparaco is a contributing writer for the Yankees and Mets websites On SI. He has previously written for Cold Front Report, Times Union and JKR Baseball, where he profiled some of the top recruits, college players and draft prospects in baseball. You can follow him on Twitter/X: @JohnSparaco