Aaron Judge responds to Juan Soto’s lineup protection comments

Juan Soto may no longer be hit in front of “best batter in baseball,” but he thinks the “best batter in baseball” is OK with the $765 million guy.

Comments returned to the Yankees’ two-time AL MVP the day after Soto explained to post Mike Puma that he was attacking this season as the pitcher stopped batting in front of Judge Aaron.

The judge said he had no intention of going back and forth with Soto on the issue, but he downplayed his own part of it.

“[Soto has] What did he get now one of the best batters in the game behind him? [Pete] Alonso is doing it,” the judge said Tuesday at Yankee Stadium. “It was fun to watch. He’s hit nearly .400 [.345 entering Tuesday]drive the ball all over the field and drive everyone. They’ll be fine.

“I have seen Soto watch the league for many years and then have the opportunity to see him close up, and you can see what I did last April.

After arguably the best season of his completed career with the Yankees last year, Soto was able to hit 0.250 with two home runs and .829 OPS on Tuesday.

He is the most frightening Nos in the game of Soto and Judges. It showed he got less hits than last season when he had to choose poison between two and three batters.

“That’s definitely not,” Soto posted Monday. “I hit the best batsman in baseball behind me. I get more attacks in the strike zone, more intentional walks and things like that.

The judge, as he mentioned, made his own late start while hitting behind Soto in April last year, setting fire to his second MVP season after hitting .207 with six home runs and .754 OPS in May.