Juan Soto commenting on Aaron Judge's IG post has Yankees fans reminiscing

With New York Yankees fans settling for silent victories amid what's been an iffy offseason so far, it's a ripe time to pine for the Bombers of yesteryear (quite literally, 2024), when New York had more than just one offensive superstar and actually felt Yankee-ish. Ah, yes, the Aaron Judge-Juan Soto Yankees! One season together, and one World Series berth. While Yanks GM Brian Cashman may not have understood the importance of 2024 in the moment, fans certainly did, and they continue to honor that moment with sad daydreams about what could have been.

Soto's recent cameo on Judge's Instagram only pained Yankees fans further in this regard. The New York Mets star dropped an utterly egoless comment on Judge's latest 'just-won-MVP-but-job's-not-finished' post, writing, "CAPITÁN!!" replete with a salute emoji.

Juan Soto's Instagram salute to Aaron Judge had Yankees fans mourning a generational opportunity lost

Many Yankees fans looked at Soto's comment and immediately thought of Alex Rodríguez, whose deference to Derek Jeter in New York (while dark and complicated) contributed to a World Series title.

Soto's nod to Judge in such a public way emphasized his respect for and deference to his fellow megastar and former teammate. Yanks fans were momentarily pulled back to fond thoughts of the dynamic '24 duo, wondering once again why these two only got one season together. Soto and Judge could have been A-Rod and Jeter 2.0, without all of the baggage!

With Soto less than a month past his 27th birthday and coming off a "down year" in which he finished third in National League MVP voting, Yankees fans can't stop thinking about how much he still belongs in pinstripes.

A Judge-Soto partnership for the remainder of Judge's career (at least six more seasons), followed by Soto accepting the Yankees' torch for the last phase of his career (age 34-35 onwards) would have been the perfect foundation for New York to work with over the next decade. It also seems like the only foundation that could have threatened to challenge the Dodgers' growing dynasty.

Alas, Soto is gone (never to return), and Yankees fans — once spoiled by an outfield created in baseball heaven — are now distracting themselves at work with worries that Trent Grisham might encroach upon Spencer Jones’s development this year. It's like if a Michelin star chef charred your filet mignon to ruin and you spent the rest of the night deeply conflicted over which NYC dollar slice to grab.

Slices are $2.50 (minimum) in the city now. Soto's a Met. The times are a'changin', and the Yankees will have a tough time recapturing the magic of 2024 anytime soon.