The moment captured everything the Yankees wanted out of Juan Soto when they acquired him in the winter.
It captured everything they’d want out of Soto for years to come, if they can win his sweepstakes once free agency arrives.
There are plenty of reasons why Brian Cashman traded for Soto, and his ability to meet the moment — and do it over and over and over again — remains near the top of the list.
His latest home run — with two outs and two strikes and two runners on base in the 10th inning of ALCS Game 5 — inched the Yankees closer to having a World Series berth before any offseason decisions are made and potentially $600 million contracts are signed.
Soto crushed a pitch from Hunter Gaddis over the centerfield fence, giving the Yankees a 5-2 lead and scoring Jasson Dominguez and Alex Verdugo.
