Juan Soto praises Yankees teammate during his spring training debut

Juan Soto looks to like being a part of the New York Yankees, and he has rapidly developed a relationship with the team’s captain and finest player, Aaron Judge.

Soto, who was acquired by the Yankees in a seven-player trade in December, made his spring training debut against the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday, leading New York to a 12-6 victory with a three-run homer in the fourth inning.

But it was Soto’s postgame remarks about Judge that grabbed almost as much attention as his massive, 428-foot home run off the scoreboard at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa. According to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, Soto stated that getting to know Judge has been “even better than he expected.”

“I knew he was a great guy, but I didn’t know he was that good,” Soto said about Judge, according to Hoch. “Everything, even his vibe, is positive. He’s just staying positive and trying to win as much as he can.”

Judge answered in similar, stating he wants to make Soto’s season with the Yankees “his best,” implying that Soto at his peak gets New York one step closer to a title.

“He is a New York Yankee. I wanted to make his first year here a success. According to Hoch, Judge expressed his desire for Soto to have a successful year. “If he’s feeling right and he’s doing his thing, that’s only going to take us one step closer to a World Series.”

Soto, who batted second in front of Judge, went 1-for-2 with a home run, a walk, and three RBIs on Sunday. Meanwhile, Judge went 2-for-2 with one RBI.

Soto, who signed a record arbitration agreement in January, is not expected to negotiate a contract extension with the Yankees before entering free agency at the end of the season.