Juan Soto just pretty much screamed that he's missing life with Yankees, Aaron Judge

There are those moments in life that spark memories of the good times past. Simpler, happy times, that bring a smile to your face before the cold hard reality of how much things have changed sets in.

For New York Mets superstar, Juan Soto, the annual BBWAA awards dinner seemed to spark that sort of recollection as he watched New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge accept his third AL MVP award.

Soto took to social media to reminisce about those good old days. The times when he was happy, sharing an outfield with his good friend Aaron Judge as the two set the league on fire.

Juan Soto's social media post makes it clear how much he misses Aaron Judge and the Yankees

His lone season in the Bronx ended in disappointment, but before that, the generational talent reached rare heights of playing in the World Series for the second time in his career. With the game's most fearsome slugger by his side, surely there would have been more chances to take home another ring. However, Soto chased the money and found out the hard way that the grass isn't always greener, being denied entry into the October dance in his first season in Queens.

This isn't the first time we've seen Soto publicly express his love and admiration for Judge, confirming what we knew when the two met for the first Subway Series last year, a smile cracking the usually stoic Soto's face as he reunited with his former Yankees teammates for the first time.

And it's no wonder why. The Mets' clubhouse was a disaster last season, with tensions and internal turmoil running high, leading to a massive roster overhaul that saw most of the club's old guard (and fan favorites) being shipped out or moved on from.

Now, Soto's left with the stunning reality. Steve Cohen may have deep pockets and promised him the world, but even that has its limitations. Now he'll have the likes of Bo Bichette and Jorge Polanco protecting him in the lineup, and while they're fine players, they're no Aaron Judge.

Aside from his friendship with Judge and the comfort he felt actually winning in the Bronx, there's an even more selfish reason why Soto longs for his pinstriped days. He was simply better as a Yankee.

For his career, Soto owns a stellar 158 wRC+. Outside of the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, his single-season high was a 164 mark, excluding his season with the Yankees. As a hitter, his 181 wRC+ in 2024 marked the best season of his career, by a wide margin. That's the Aaron Judge effect.

Soto perhaps realizes he's not likely to reach those heights again without Judge, and don't think for a second he's not a prideful player. He wants to put up the best numbers possible, and now he knows that although he's on a Hall of Fame trajectory on his own, he's that much better wearing pinstripes with an even more lethal hitter protecting him. He won't find that anywhere but the Bronx.