BALTIMORE — Juan Soto’s bat is never going to sneak up on opponents. His wheels are a different story.
The slugger caught the Orioles by surprise in the Yankees’ 2-0 win on Wednesday, stealing second on two occasions. The swipes doubled Soto’s stolen base total for the season, and he tried for another in the sixth inning.
That time, he was thrown out at third.
“I was [OK with it],” Aaron Boone said of Soto’s final attempt. “I thought it was there for him. I think he needed to be a little more aggressive with his lead and his break. But it was there for the taking. He just didn’t quite pop it like he needed to is all.”
All of Soto’s running came with Corbin Burnes on the mound. That was by design.
The Orioles’ ace isn’t quick to the plate, and Boone wanted to “push the envelope in the running game” when possible with the Yankees’ offense enduring a quiet stretch.
“I saw the chance that I had on Burnes,” Soto told the Daily News. “He’s kind of slow to the plate, and I try to take advantage and try to put myself in scoring position for the guys who come in behind me.”
After Wednesday’s prime opportunity, Soto plans on stealing more often this season.
His career-high for stolen bases is 12, a number he’s reached twice in his career, including last season with the Padres. This year, he has his sights set on a higher number.
“Twenty should be a good number for me,” said Soto, who went on his own all three times on Wednesday. “I really think I have the speed to steal 20 bases.”
According to Baseball Savant, Soto’s 26.9 feet per second sprint speed ranks in the 43rd percentile, which is below average. That number ranks fifth on the Yankees.
“I don’t want to say I’m fast, but I don’t think I’m that slow,” said Soto, who has stolen 54 bases in his career. “I think they think I’m slower, so that’s an advantage for me.”
For comparison, Jon Berti is the Yankees’ fastest player at 29 feet per second. Anthony Volpe, who led the team with seven swipes before Thursday’s game against Baltimore, covers 28.5 feet per second.
So Soto isn’t a burner. But he does believe he can reach his goal if he runs against the right pitchers and in the right moments. And because he walks so often, he should get lots of chances.
“He’s capable of stealing some bases,” Boone said. “I don’t think he’s gonna be in the league leaders by any means. But when the right matchup is there, I definitely think there’s a handful of bags for him to get.”
However, Soto needs to be smart. He knows this.
With Aaron Judge hitting behind him, he doesn’t want to run into outs like he did at third on Wednesday. Soto said that’s partly why he doesn’t run more frequently. Other talented teammates have kept him from doing so in the past as well, but he’s confident that he can strike a better balance in 2024.
“The thing is, I just gotta pick my spots because I hit in front of Judge here,” Soto said. “In the past, I hit in front of Manny Machado and guys like that.
“I just gotta find a way to do it, but I think I have the speed to steal 20 bags.”
VERDUGO RETURNS
The Yankees activated Alex Verdugo from the paternity list on Thursday. Carlos Narváez was sent down to clear roster space.
Boone said that Verdugo landed in Baltimore around 7 a.m. on Thursday. Because of that, the manager had the left fielder hitting sixth.
“I’ll probably get Dugie back in the cleanup spot tomorrow,” Boone said, referring to Verdugo’s pre-paternity success batting fourth. “With the long travel, just want to get him settled.”
REHAB UPDATES
As of Thursday morning, Boone said the plan was for Berti to resume his rehab assignment later in the day after his back locked up on him Wednesday, forcing an off day. Berti initially went on the injured list with a groin injury.
Nick Burdi (hip) was scheduled to throw a second bullpen on Thursday. The plan is for him to throw in a rehab game with Double-A Somerset on Sunday.
Gerrit Cole (elbow inflammation) was scheduled for a light day of throwing on Thursday.