Sandwiched between his time as Yankees hitting coach and hitting coach in Philadelphia, Kevin Lengthy held the identical place for 4 years with the Nationals.
These seasons, 2018-21, occurred to be the primary 4 of Juan Soto’s main league profession.
Few folks know Soto’s strategy on the plate, or his persona, higher than Lengthy, now in his third yr with the Phillies.
So there was a reunion between the 2 in entrance of the visiting dugout previous to Wednesday’s collection finale at Residents Financial institution Park.
“He’s one of many guys that’s been with me from the start,’’ Soto mentioned. “He taught me a number of stuff, not nearly hitting, however how one can play within the league. He’s a giant a part of my profession.”
On condition that historical past, Lengthy mentioned he was assured going to the Yankees final offseason — and getting out of San Diego — would do the famous person good.
“I feel he wanted a change of surroundings,’’ Lengthy mentioned. “And the Yankees had been match.”
Requested what he believed went incorrect for his former pupil, Lengthy mentioned, “I feel it might have gone sideways in San Diego with the way in which it was going. He wasn’t how I keep in mind. It was simply more durable for him. Now, he feels comfortable. He’s comfy with the place he’s at. I might see a distinction.”
The primary cause is pretty easy — and it’s the identical cause Lengthy believes Soto wasn’t comfortable on the finish of his time with Washington, when he obtained traded to the Padres throughout the 2022 season.
“He is aware of what it’s prefer to win,” Lengthy mentioned of the Nationals having received the World Sequence in 2019. “He is aware of how a lot enjoyable it was. That’s why it was powerful for him on the finish there, as a result of we didn’t have an opportunity to win there. That’s powerful on a participant of his caliber. He not taking part in this sport simply to place up these numbers. He’s taking part in the sport to construct relationships together with his teammates and win, and he desires to do this once more.”
Soto is on tempo for his greatest full season within the majors — a product actually of hitting in entrance of Aaron Choose, but additionally of being in a profitable tradition.
“Going to the Yankees, you at all times have an opportunity to win,” Lengthy mentioned. “So him doing what he’s doing there doesn’t shock me. He’s at all times been a big-stage sort of man. I’m proud to see how he’s dealt with himself.”
Soto has stayed with Lengthy and his household throughout the offseason in Arizona to work on hitting, and Lengthy mentioned he wouldn’t be stunned if he will get a name from Soto this offseason as soon as Soto hits free company for the primary time.
“I simply need him to be comfortable and luxuriate in it,’’ Lengthy mentioned. “I do know profitable is gonna be a giant a part of his method and being round profitable gamers is a giant a part of his method. He wants that.
“Aaron Choose is admittedly good for him in a number of methods. He’s a man you may have a look at and say, ‘That’s the way in which you act and play.’ That’s good for him.”
Along with buying Mark Leiter Jr. and Enyel De Los Santos on the commerce deadline, the Yankees might additionally get right-handers Nick Burdi and Scott Effross again within the bullpen sooner or later down the stretch.
Burdi was reinstated from the 60-day IL Thursday and optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Effross is already with SWB, nonetheless knocking off rust after coming back from Tommy John surgical procedure and again surgical procedure.
Proper-hander Cody Poteet (triceps) was transferred to the 60-day IL.
