The Yankees’ addition of Juan Soto already has their American League rivals quaking in their boots.

The New York Yankees hold themselves to a ridiculously high standard. Hence, their 82-80 finish in 2023, despite keeping their .500 or above record streak intact, was a major disappointment.

To help their cause in ensuring that this does not happen again to the mighty Evil Empire, the Yankees went out and traded for left fielder Juan Soto, giving the team a ridiculously elite one-two punch at the heart of the order.

But beyond his surefire impact on the plate for the Yankees, there’s a certain fear factor that Soto is instilling in the hearts of his opponents. John Schneider, the manager of one of the Yankees’ AL East rivals, the Toronto Blue Jays, admitted just how difficult a team to face Soto makes the team in pinstripes.

“He’s good. … He’s a tough at-bat. He controls the zone. He’s got damage potential. It’s a pretty unique skill set for a guy his age. Definitely going to be a challenge,” Schneider said, per Brendan Kuty and Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. “For a guy his age, I think you put him in a category that we put him in for a reason.”

But the Blue Jays manager isn’t the only member of the AL East singing the praises of the Yankees’ newest star man. Baltimore Orioles general manager Mike Elias, who has helped spearhead the team’s turnaround to a bonafide powerhouse, dropped some lavish praise for Juan Soto as well.

“He’s one of the best players in the sport, one of the best hitters I’ve ever seen with my own eyes,” Elias said.

It isn’t just the Yankees’ AL East peers that are feeling the heat with Juan Soto’s move to New York. Even the Houston Astros, one of the powerhouses of the AL residing along the southwest, expressed how difficult it would be to face the Yankees with Soto.

“Anytime you have it in your budget to add a power bat who’s that special, it’s a great addition. … It’s another threat in the lineup,” Astros general manager Dana Brown said. “Your pitchers are going to have to navigate through that lineup. It makes it a little bit more difficult. It’s not going to be easy, put it that way.”

The Yankees are going to be the talk of the town one way or another in 2024; they’ll be hoping that nothing but positivity comes their way with Juan Soto set to make his debut as a member of the AL.