"This guy's pretty good"- Nestor Cortes opens up on Juan Soto, acknowledges Yankees star's determination to win and superstar skills (Exclusive)

Since he made his debut for the Yankees at the start of 2024, Juan Soto's unique approach to baseball has made him many a fan in the Bronx. Recently, pitching star Nestor Cortes shared that he is certainly among them.

In a recent exclusive interview with Dan Connolly for Sportskeeda, the Cuban-born pitcher opened up about the impact that Soto has had on the club. Admitting that he did not know the full extent of Juan Soto's ability until he played on the same side, Cortes told Connolly:

"I think with every superstar, you respect them from afar when they are not on your team, but you don’t know the daily work they put in. So, when he was with the Padres and the Nationals, I'm like, ‘Man, this guy's pretty good.’ But we didn't know the magnitude of him, right?"

In addition to boasting a 1.034 OPS, second in MLB only to Aaron Judge, Soto has given his team ample opportunities to win this season. Now the MLB leader in walks with 81, Soto has hit .308/.432/.588 with 71 RBIs this year. Moreover, his 26 home runs put him on pace to hit a career-high, surpassing the 35 long ones he hit as a member of the San Diego Padres last season.

"Juan Soto, good at hitting baseballs a great distance." - MLB

While his skillset on the field certainly drives his popularity, Soto's persona has also made him beloved in the Bronx. Whether it be firing up fans in the outfield seats during play, or making time for young fans before the game, Juan Soto has fully embraced his new, exciting life as a member of the New York Yankees.

Nestor Cortes taken aback by Juan Soto's youth

Though only four years separate Cortes and Soto by age, Soto has already won a World Series, four Silver Sluggers, a batting title and four All-Star nods. As Cortes continued to speak to Connolly, the pitcher marveled at Soto's age:

"They just look different. They just feel different. And that's exactly what I saw with Soto. I mean, this guy's 25 years old. At 25, I was still getting DFA’d from teams. Luis Gil is older than Soto. When you put all that into perspective, Soto is really impressive."

While some big issues exist for Soto and the Yankees' front office to deal with, there can be no doubt that whoever has witnessed the 25-year-old's tenure with the Yankees firsthand is quite a lucky individual.