How the Yankees’ batting lineup could shape up without Juan Soto? ft. Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Jazz Chisholm

On Monday, reports began to emerge of Juan Soto's record-shattering deal with the Mets. Reportedly worth some $765 million over fifteen seasons, the deal blows even Shohei Ohtani's 2023 contract out of the water in terms of proportion.

Although they reportedly made a play for Soto, the Yankees were unsuccessful in their quest to keep the superstar. Now, manager Aaron Boone will need to adjust his lineup accordingly.

For most of the 2024 season, Boone slotted Juan Soto in the number two batting spot - behind Gleyber Torres. This proved tremendously affective, as Soto's .419 on-base percentage was his highest since 2021, and his 128 runs scored were the best in the AL.

"3 HOME RUN GAME FOR JUAN SOTO. THERE IS NO SITUATION WHERE HE CAN EVER LEAVE. NONE. EVERYTHING AND ANYTHING TO KEEP HIM." - Addison

Soto's incredible aptitude at getting on base fit perfectly for Aaron Judge to insert himself into the three-hole. The purveyor of an MLB-best 58 home runs in 2024, Soto was on base for a large proportion of the captain's big flies.

After Jazz Chisholm was acquired from the Miami Marlins at the 2024 trade deadline, Boone regularly opted to place the Bahamanian in the cleanup spot. Though not a traditional cleanup hitter, Chisholm hit a respectable .273 with 11 homers in his final 46 regular season games with the Yankees. However, by the postseason, Boone had decided to flip Chisholm to the fifth spot, with Giancarlo Stanton taking on postseason duties.

How will Juan Soto's departure affect the Yankees' batting order?

Aaron Boone does not like putting Aaron Judge in the cleanup spot because of how often he is intentionally walked. Conversely, Gleyber Torres appears to be right at home in the leadoff spot.

As such, it appears as though putting Jazz Chisholm Jr. in the two-hole would set the stage for Aaron Judge in the third spot. Giancarlo Stanton's seven home runs in fourteen postseason games means that the ex-NL MVP should probably resume cleanup duties - where he was for a large portion of his career before joining the New York Yankees.

"Stanton comes through with a STANTONIAN home run! GIANCARLO! Non si puo STOPARLO!" - John Sterling Calls

The silver lining of Juan Soto's departure is that it will give younger talents like Oswaldo Cabrera, Oswald Peraza, and Jasson Dominguez a chance to hit higher in the order, and hone their skills. Austin Wells, Anthony Rizzo, and Anthony Volpe will also ensure that the bottom of the Yankees' batting order remains highly competitive.