AL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: GUARDIANS VS YANKEES

October 18, 2024

Juan Soto

Progressive Field

New York Yankees

Postgame 4 Press Conference

Yankees 8, Guardians 6

Q. All that talk about your work at the plate, but you kept on that ball in the fifth. How much do you pride yourself in your defensive work?

JUAN SOTO: Oh, it stings. I've been working since Spring Training. I'm really proud of what I've been doing. Really happy with these guys. They have been helping me big time to improve my defense.

I've been working a lot, putting into the work, just looking at the numbers, which way we should take it, this and that, and it's been working. So really happy for making those plays for my pitchers, and at the end of the day, just helping the team to win the game. I think that's huge for me.

Q. Is there someone in particular you're working with on that or in the offseason? Is it a coach? Is it a specialist?

JUAN SOTO: In the offseason, I work with Alex Ochoa, one of the guys from Juarez Company. He did give me a couple tips and help me out big time. Whenever I go here, Luis Roja has been helping me with my defense, showing me the numbers and which way should we take to improve.

Q. After the way last night ended, how important was the home run in the first inning for your club?

JUAN SOTO: I would say it's always good to get the lead early. That's what we're trying to do, try to get the lead early, try to give some room to the starters to work. But last night was in the past. We tried to forget about it. We focused on today's game, and that's what we did as a whole team, and we came through.

Q. Gleyber starts things off with another first-pitch single. How important is it for him to set the table for your team?

JUAN SOTO: I feel like it's really important because you're giving me and Judge a chance to put the ball in the gap and try to make a score and try to get the lead early.

Like I say, I feel like that's a huge part of the game, when you get the lead early, and he's been doing it big time. He's been taking walks, taking good pitches.

Even if he doesn't get a hit and he gets an eight-pitch at-bat, he makes the starter work, it's better for us because we've already seen what has been working, what has not been working that day, and we go from there.

Q. What have you learned from postseason Giancarlo Stanton?

JUAN SOTO: Just the way he goes. The way he goes every day on the field, in the clubhouse. Day in, day out, he's the same guy. He keeps it the same, and he's one of the leaders in that clubhouse, so I'm really happy to see him like that, and he's been showing me and teaching me a lot of stuff throughout the year.