TAMPA, Fla. -- Juan Soto’s introduction to life as a Yankee started with a phone call from Aaron Judge in December, with the new teammates expressing how much they were looking forward to playing alongside each other.

For Soto, the experience has exceeded all expectations so far, featuring lots of laughs alongside Judge and others in a lively batting practice group that may, on any given day, feature an intense home-run hitting contest, in-depth conversations about game strategy, or even a light-hearted bunting competition (honing a skill neither of them will probably ever be asked to use in a real game).

“He's been good. He's even better than what I expected,” Soto said of Judge. “I knew he was a great guy, but I didn't know he was that good. Everything [about] his vibe, everything's good. He's just thinking positive and he's trying to win as much as he can.”

Judge has seemingly been in Soto’s corner since at least the 2022 All-Star Game, when Judge sat in the Dodger Stadium outfield and called Soto “a leader” that would “help whatever team he goes to win a lot of ballgames.” Judge added: “It would be fun to see him in New York.”

At that time, there were rumors about Soto being traded if the Nationals could not secure an extension. Soto was indeed dealt weeks later, with the Padres snapping him up after the outfielder’s camp rejected a 15-year, $440 million offer from the Nats. There was never any traction with extension talks in San Diego, which is why Judge and Soto now find themselves sharing a clubhouse, at least for a year.

“I've admired his work from afar for a while, so now [I’m] getting a chance to pick his brain and talk to him about his approach,” Judge said. “What he likes to do, what he doesn't like to do, stuff in the outfield, communicating. The quicker we can get on the same page and get to know each other, the better we'll be in the long haul.”

As the Yankees’ captain, Judge said he has tried to make all the club’s new players feel welcome -- not just Soto, but outfielder Alex Verdugo, right-hander Marcus Stroman and others. Of course, most of the outside attention has followed the acclimation process for Soto, arguably the best left-handed hitter in the game today.

“I feel like I've always done that every year,” Judge said. “I try not to change who I am or what I do just based on a title. I don't take that title lightly, but that's just what I try to do: Make people feel comfortable. Just like the veterans before me that came, CC [Sabathia], Gardy [Brett Gardner]. Those guys always treated me like I was a veteran from the very first day, so I'm going to try to do the same thing with anybody that comes through this clubhouse.”

Everyone in the Yankees’ universe, including general manager Brian Cashman, understands that Soto will likely explore the untold riches of free agency. Cashman has said as much, saying that he doesn’t anticipate any extension talks taking place before the end of the season and that “the odds are this is a one-year situation” before Soto reaches the open market.

Yet there is hope that Soto will enjoy his Bronx experience so thoroughly that he won't consider wearing another uniform. The groundwork for that effort is underway.

“He's a New York Yankee,” Judge said. “His first year here, I want to make it a good one. I want this to be his best year, and if he's feeling right and doing his thing, that's only going to take us one step closer to a World Series. So whatever I can do to get Juan feeling like Juan, I'm going to try to do it.”

• Gerrit Cole thought he’d like watching Soto play. Instead, the Yankees’ ace has discovered that he loves it. Read more >>

• Find out why Stroman said that “outsiders don’t understand” what he can add to a clubhouse. Read more >>

• It’s never too early to take a swing at predicting the Opening Day roster. We’ve added a new name to the bullpen in our latest update. Read more >>

Who holds the franchise record for games pitched in a single season?

A) Tom Gordon
B) Boone Logan
C) Scott Proctor
D) Paul Quantrill

March 4, 2013: Cashman fractured his right leg and dislocated his right ankle while parachuting with the U.S. Army Golden Knights at Homestead Air Reserve Base in a fundraiser for the Wounded Warrior Project.

Despite the injury, the Yankees' GM called the jump “an awesome experience,” saying he was “extremely happy that the Wounded Warrior Project is getting the well-deserved additional attention."

D) Paul Quantrill

Yankees manager Joe Torre called Quantrill’s number 86 times during the 2004 season, when the 35-year-old right-hander went 7-3 with a 4.72 ERA and one save across 95 1/3 innings. Quantrill was accustomed to heavy workloads. The '04 season marked the fourth consecutive year he’d made 80 or more appearances.

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