Juan Soto left the New York Yankees to join the New York Mets in the 2025 season. But he has always been vocal about how he still “misses” Aaron Judge. Soto and Judge, together, had led the pinstripes to an ALCS win after five years and pushed them to the World Series.

Now, following his departure, the saga of ‘who misses whom’ continues. Recently on WFAN, Aaron Boone claimed that leaving the Yankees still bothers Soto, later adding that he was actually “kidding.” The Yankees skipper’s remarks have sparked speculation, and WFAN Sports Radio host Tommy Lugauer has fired back in Soto’s defence.

In a video posted on X, Lugauer put Boone and Judge on the spot, highlighting how the Yankees had one of their most successful seasons with Soto on board. They even made it into the World Series. “Let’s take him (Boone) for not joking. Or even if he was joking, a little bit of truth in a joke, which most jokes have a grain of truth,” Lugauer said.

“You know, Boone said, Juan Soto misses us. Well, I mean, Aaron Judge only made the World Series when Juan Soto was his teammate. That’s a fact,” pointed out Lugauer.

“So perhaps Aaron Judge can maybe get to a World Series without Juan Soto,” Lugauer added. “So maybe it’s Aaron Judge that’s missing Juan Soto. ‘Cause Juan Soto won a World Series without the Yankees and without Aaron Judge. Aaron Judge has not even made the World Series without Juan Soto.”

Lugauer reopened the wound of the Yankees’ World Series drought, mentioning how the only time Judge got to even compete in the World Series was in 2024 with Soto as his teammate.

The lineup of Judge and Soto also ended the Yankees’ five-year losing streak in the ALCS by defeating the Cleveland Guardians (4-1). They also won the AL Division Series (3-1). The Yankees had an intense postseason that continued into the World Series, which they lost 4-1 to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Though Judge had not qualified for the World Series without Soto, the Dominican had already won one. At 20, he played in the 2019 World Series with the Washington Nationals.

So yes, the Yankees might clearly be missing Soto, but the feeling might be mutual. Alongside Aaron Judge, he recorded a career-best 181 wRC+ and 8.3 WAR in the 2024 season.

His debut season with the Mets, however, ended without reaching the postseason with a slight statistical dip to 156 wRC+. Now, even though Bo Bichette and Jorge Polanco are his teammates, they are not Judge. So, if Soto is posting graphics of his and Judge’s 2024 offensive numbers on his Instagram, one can understand why.

However, for now, Soto seems to have shifted his focus to the 2026 World Baseball Classic. He’s leading the Dominican Republic as they are on a dominant run.

Juan Soto shines for the Dominican Republic

In their second pool-play match, the Dominican Republic dominated the Netherlands, winning 12-1 at loanDepot Park in Florida.

Juan Soto came to bat third in the match that ended in mercy rule after the seventh inning. It was his home run that sealed Team D. R’s victory. In addition to the home run, Soto recorded two walks and two RBIs against the Dutch pitching.

The Dominican Republic sealed its quarterfinal spot after winning against Team Israel. During Team D.R’s 10-1 victory, Soto made two attempts at home runs but fell short. Both the hits fell into the gloves of the center-fielder on the warning track.

As he walked into the dugout following his two failed attempts, his teammates had a punishment ready for him. Valdimir Guerrero Jr. oversaw Soto’s push-ups while the others cheered and counted him out.

Team D.R faces Venezuela next tonight, March 11, to determine who will end up at the top of the pool table. A win here would also mean avoiding the defending champions, Japan, in the quarterfinals.