Juan Soto won’t be joining the New York Yankees in Mexico City when they play against the Diablos Rojos del Mexico. He’s staying back to work on his swing instead. The games in Mexico will close out the Yankees’ spring season, and they’ll start the regular season on March 28 against the Houston Astros.

Juan Soto will not travel to Mexico City with the Yankees, per @BryanHoch pic.twitter.com/zbVIuEZja2

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) March 22, 2024

Soto’s focusing on the upcoming season because he’ll become a free agent after 2024 and is aiming for a big contract. He’s been doing well this spring, hitting .325 with four home runs and 10 RBIs in 40 at-bats. It won’t be a surprise if he has a great season.

While Shohei Ohtani’s big contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers grabbed headlines, the Yankees’ signing of Soto was significant. Soto had a great year last season and seems to be improving each season.

Having Soto on the team will take some pressure off players like Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Anthony Rizzo. Last season, when Judge got injured, the offense struggled.

Juan Soto is not making the trip to Mexico City. Aaron Boone said that Soto will remain behind in Tampa to continue working on his swing.

— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) March 22, 2024

In the tough American League East division, the Yankees can’t afford to have a weak offense. They missed the postseason last year for the first time since 2016.

With Soto, the team’s offense is much stronger. The big question now is whether they have what it takes to dominate the AL East.