There should be plenty of fireworks for the Yankees in 2024 brought by the tandem of Aaron Judge and Juan Soto.

The New York Yankees are trying to assemble a murderer’s row of hitters in their batting order, with the acquisition of the hard-hitting Juan Soto sure to give their lineup more of a punch alongside star slugger Aaron Judge.

With there being less than a month away from the start of Spring Training, there is much anticipation for how the Yankees’ new pieces will fit together as they try to reclaim AL East glory.

Judge, however, already has some ideas for manager Aaron Boone on how to best optimize the weapons the Yankees have at their disposal. Speaking during the All Rise Gala for the Yankees slugger’s foundation, Judge said that he wants to hit behind Soto in the lineup, and why wouldn’t he, given how well Soto gets on base?

“I think he’s got me penciled in at centerfield, hitting right behind the new guy. Just keep the top three DJ, Soto and me, we’ll get it going,” Judge said with a huge smile on his face, via @BAT1STA on Twitter (X).

In recent times, the Yankees have called upon Aaron Judge to fill their leadoff spot. This isn’t exactly a bad idea. Judge has a career .396 on base percentage, and sabermetrics encourage managers to give their best hitters as many plate appearances as possible. This is done by putting the best hitters close to or at the leadoff spot.

Nonetheless, given Judge’s power production, it may be more optimal for the Yankees to slot him at a lower spot at the heart of the order, what with Juan Soto’s arrival giving the Pinstripes a legitimate on-base machine.

Soto has a lifetime .426 OBP; with Judge behind Soto, pitchers may be more cautious and give the 25-year old left fielder more pitches to feast upon, creating a ripple effect that will benefit the Yankees even further.

Indeed, the idea of Soto teaming up with Judge should put a smile on Yankees fans’ faces, even though there are legitimate defensive concerns with Judge’s impending move to centerfield. In the end, talent always tends to win out, which should mean plenty of explosive offensive displays in Yankee Stadium in 2024.