Yankees' Juan Soto has a clutch ability that is second to none

In high-pressure moments, New York Yankees star outfielder Juan Soto delivers while many others falter.

Soto’s .444 batting average and .559 on-base percentage (34 plate appearances) in high-leverage situations far surpass the league averages of .247 and .321, respectively, showcasing his skill in critical moments.

Soto’s impact goes beyond the traditional statistics. His Win Probability Added (WPA) of 4.5 this season is notably higher than the league average of 1.9 and reflects his crucial role in close games. ( Per MLB.com , "WPA quantifies the percent change in a team's chances of winning from one event to the next. It does so by measuring the importance of a given plate appearance in the context of the game.")

Comparisons to baseball’s clutch legends are fitting. Soto’s performance is reminiscent of former Boston star and Hall of Famer David Ortiz , who boasted a .289 career batting average in high-leverage situations and became renowned for his October heroics.

Soto’s clutch hitting also parallels that of former Yankees star Derek Jeter, a Hall of Famer who had a .288 average in high-pressure moments (since high-leverage stats became official in 2002) and won five World Series titles. (Soto, who has a .256 average in high-leverage situations, has one World Series ring, earned in 2019 when he played for the Washington Nationals.)

The 25-year-old outfielder's presence is crucial for Aaron Judge, too.

Judge, the Yankees' main clutch performer, had a WPA of 3.09 last season and has improved to 4.23 this season, significantly above the league average. Soto’s addition to the lineup alleviates some of Judge’s burden, creating a more balanced offense for the AL-East leading Yankees (67-46), who have a half-game edge over the Baltimore Orioles entering play on Wednesday.

With Soto in the mix, pitchers can no longer focus solely on Judge, enhancing the team's overall offensive strategy. Advanced metrics emphasize the synergy between Soto and Judge. Judge’s WPA highlights his role as a clutch performer, but Soto’s success in high-leverage situations complements this, creating a powerful combination.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone has praised Soto’s impact, stating , “He’s about as good as it gets.”

High-pressure intensity sharpens Soto’s performance in critical moments and the numbers confirm it. Soto’s consistent ability to deliver in those situations is more than occasional brilliance — it’s a defining trait of his game.

As the season progresses, Soto's clutch performances could be instrumental in driving the Yankees toward a World Series title, which would be the club's first since 2009.