Aaron Judge Says 'Nobody Can Replace' Juan Soto, Praises Yankees After Record 9 HRs

Following Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees' franchise record nine-home-run performance on Saturday, Judge said that while "nobody can replace" former teammate Juan Soto, the team did a solid job filling the void that he left when he signed with the New York Mets.

"Nobody can replace Soto. He's one of a kind, but I think with the guys we added, we were able to fill some holes that we probably had last year," Judge told reporters after the game.

Soto jumped to the other side of town, signing a 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets in the offseason. His departure undoubtedly left a hole in the Yankees' outfield and at the plate, but Judge is confident it has been filled to the best of the team’s abilities.

"With the guys we added, we were able to fill some holes that we probably had last year." Judge continued. "You get a guy like (Cody) Bellinger that you can throw in there to play first, play all three outfield positions. You got Goldie (Paul Goldschmidt) who is just a professional bat from the right side... You got a guy like Austin Wells, you saw what he did in Thursdays game to lead off the game... Same thing with Anthony Volpe down there."

The Yankees are 2-0 to start the season, including a 20-9 win over Milwaukee on Saturday that featured nine home runs. According to MLB, it marked the first time a team hit three home runs on the first three pitches since pitch counts began being tracked in 1988. Judge, Bellinger and Goldschmidt were responsible for the three home runs on the first three pitches.

Judge hit three home runs on Saturday, driving in a career-high eight RBI across six at-bats. His performance included a solo homer, his ninth career grand slam and a two-run shot.

Despite his career night and one of the Yankees' biggest games in history, the 32-year-old remained humble about his performance on Saturday.

"The game's a game," Judge told reporters. "I got a job to do up there, it doesn't matter who is on the mound, it doesn't matter what the speed is–I got a job to do. So I really don't see it as anything other than take a swing."

Judge and the Yankees will wrap up their series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday, aiming for a 3-0 start to the season.