Yankees series loss to Braves highlights need for Juan Soto to stop arguing with umps

When the New York Yankees are at their worst, fans are well aware of the pitfalls. Fundamental baseball is nowhere to be found. A dead offense, highlighted by relentless GIDPs and a lack of situational hitting, curse the team. And then, of course, comes the relentless arguing with umpires.

Can this stop? We know Juan Soto has been a godsend for the Yankees this season, but perhaps enough is enough as we approach July.

The baseball world knows Soto has an incomparable command of the strike zone, but he's by no means perfect. No hitter can conquer every pitcher every night of the week. It's just not how the game goes.

A lot of Soto's interactions with umps have gotten a pass because he's either been right or fans didn't care because the strike zone has been a tough scene for a number of those behind the plate, but this weekend has Yankees fans (and baseball fans) wanting a reset.

Soto, in the national spotlight, came off as an annoyance as a few of these clips circulated on social media. The generational slugger undoubtedly has a right to state his case, but he's not the judge, jury and executioner with the strike zone. He has to know that this type of behavior will be further magnified solely because he's wearing pinstripes.

Yankees series loss to Braves highlights need for Juan Soto to stop arguing with umps

As we expected, Chris Sale made the Yankees look like losers, as he's done for years. Aaron Judge cannot hit the left-hander. And apparently Soto couldn't, either. He went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in Friday's 8-1 loss and took exception to the home plate umpire correctly calling a nasty slider strike three.

Former Yankee and Brave Darren O'Day on the Braves' radio broadcast and called out Soto for having the gall to argue the call. It was a perfect pitch and he got shown up, plain and simple. Head back to the dugout and get 'em next time.

It's all too often the Yankees fall victim to their own ineptitude and low energy, only to attempt to make the umpires the scapegoat. Either that, or they put themselves in a position to eventually be affected by a bad call, which should never be the case if you hit the ball and score runs on occasion.

Soto really drew the ire of Braves fans on Sunday when he attempted to call a timeout in an at-bat against reliever Joe Jimenez. Soto was clearly late doing so. He was not granted it, and Jimenez delivered strike three right down the pipe.

That prompted another argument from Soto that had manager Aaron Boone come from the dugout to protect his player from ejection. Soto was clearly late on the timeout and had no case to state. Waited too long. You're out. Please stop this.

The competitive nature is excellent, but the extracurricular theatrics have proven too much in recent weeks. And they'll further be criticized as long as the Yankees are losing and putting up stinkers on the offensive end. It needs to cease because the outside chatter will become an even greater distraction as the team endures its worst stretch of 2024.