One of the biggest regular season series is coming up in the Bronx this weekend, as the New York Yankees face off against the crosstown Mets in the first Subway Series of 2025. This marks the return of Juan Soto to the Bronx. The Yankees may have lost Soto, but still remain on top in the American League East with Aaron Judge as their guy.

Soto was a part of a huge one-two punch while in pinstripes. The slugger raked at the dish last season in front of Judge, launching 41 home runs, 109 RBI, and recording 166 hits, while leading the league in runs, at 128.

Soto slashed  .288/.419/.569 as a part of an All-Star year. This performance raised his stock for free agency. Between Soto and Judge, they combined for 99 total home runs, and 253 RBI. The duo was dangerous and supported the club to its first pennant in 15 years.

The season ended after a World Series loss against the Los Angeles Dodgers, and that’s where the partnership fell apart. Soto tested free agency and took an MLB-record payday in Queens, where the Mets took his services.

Yankees fans were appalled by Sotos’s decision, but little did they know that the Bronx Bombers did not entirely lose. Judge ultimately is the player the Yankees needed to build around, and overall he’s proven to be the better of the two.

Who Holds More Value: Aaron Judge or Juan Soto?

We’re now moving forward into the 2025 comparisons, leaving the past in the rear-view. Judge is undoubtedly having the most valuable season this far. The Yankees captain has a .409 batting average with 14 home runs and 39 RBI; these are both league-leading.

Aaron Judge games with 0 hits in 2025: 6
Aaron Judge games with 3+ hits in 2025: 7 pic.twitter.com/in41d9TfPl

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What else is league-leading? His WAR, at 3.4, 38 runs, 63 hits, his .409 batting average, .494 on-base percentage, and a .779 slugging percentage. He also leads in OPS at 1.274, OPS+ with 257, and total bases at 120.

Judge is putting up early All-Star and MVP-caliber numbers, and not only that, he’s leading his team to wins, holding first place in the always tough AL East.

Is Soto On the Same Level?

The New York Mets are also in first place by a thread in the National League East. Soto is off to an extremely quiet start, and unlike Judge, he leads nothing in the statistics world. Soto has a .252 batting average with a 1.5 WAR, 38 hits, eight home runs, and 19 RBI.

Soto has drawn more walks than strikeouts, at 30 walks to 29 strikeouts with a .372 on-base percentage. Judge takes the cake with this comparison, as he displays success in power, run production, getting on base, and consistency on offense.

What Do the Metrics Look Like?

Judge is in the 100th percentile for hard-hit, barrel, and exit velocity percentages. Soto sits 98-99%, not far behind. Judge’s launch angle explains his ability to drive the ball deep and out of the yard.

His average launch angle sits at 18.9 degrees, compared to Soto’s which is at 10.7 degrees. Soto has always been more of an on-the-line type hitter, but his home runs last season said differently.

Although Soto walks more than he strikes out, the numbers are almost on par this year, and his chase rate is still 68%. Judge has a chase rate of 15%, meaning he forces zone-level pitches and usually takes advantage.

The Yankees have solid pieces in their lineup, filled with guys who have been getting the job done. On the other hand, the names immediately surrounding Judge in the lineup aren’t overly spectacular on paper.

The Bronx Bombers had Ben Rice lead off in their last game against the Athletics, followed by Judge and Cody Bellinger. The Mets usually lead it off with Francisco Lindor, with Soto in the two-spot, and Pete Alonso in the third spot.

The offensive support is there more for Juan Soto than Aaron Judge. The Bronx captain takes offense into his own hands, putting up a spectacular season at the dish. Overall, both players are x-factors on their respective teams.

Judge will be the winner in this comparison both performance-wise and value-wise. The Yankees outfielder makes $11 million less per year than Soto.

These two big bats will end up face to face for the first time in their current uniforms, as the subway series kicks off this weekend in the Bronx.