Even if the overall offseason of the New York Yankees seems a little underwhelming, one thing remains undeniable – the Pinstripes have massively improved their star power. The squad that had only Aaron Judge as a bonafide superstar added a crowd favorite Juan Soto to the mix. A change in perception is now becoming visible.

Despite not even qualifying for the playoffs last season, the Yankees remain massively ahead of the rest in the World Series odds for 2024. The two sluggers are in a distinct battle for the coveted AL MVP award as well, but as of now, Judge may have a slight advantage over the Dominican slugger.

Aaron Judge and Juan Soto dominate the MVP odds

All Rise was always Ohtani’s greatest rival during Ohtani’s time in the American League. So unsurprisingly with Ohtani’s departure, BetMGM places Judge on top with +550 odds of winning the MVP award in 2024, but it’s who’s right behind him that’s interesting.

The New York Yankees’ newest hitting entry, Juan Soto, is second with +600 odds. The Dominican slugger hit 35 Home Runs and came in sixth on the NL MVP voting list in 2023. Not bad for the season most believed to be one of his weaker ones! Perhaps that’s why, despite entering into a new team, atmosphere, and league, Soto remains a massive favorite for the MVP award.

This gives the Yankees the top two players in the MVP race. For a team whose hitting was in the bottom tier in 2023, having two of its hitters in this spot shows a massive improvement in the Pinstripes roster. At the same time, these odds cannot tell the final story, especially with the potential issues that could still plague the Bronx roster.

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The chief among them is the injury history of Aaron Judge as well as the adjustment period that Soto might need.

The challenges for the New York Yankees duo

Multiple reports have indicated that Aaron Judge will play in the centerfield. For a player who missed over 50 games last season due to an injury, this could be a challenging position. In the past few years, Judge’s injury history has only worsened only. So the Yankees will have to ensure that their captain remains fit throughout the season. Especially since Soto will need a little time.

It took Soto a new season to get going after being traded to the San Diego Padres. The situations were different then as that was a mid-season trade, but it shows that Soto might not start firing on all cylinders almost immediately. So it becomes imperative for the Yankees to lift some of that pressure off Sota. In a way, the odds are in their favor, but it’ll take a lot of planning to turn those odds into a reality.

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