The New York Mets had a bold message to the New York Yankees as they made the crosstown trip with a former star of the Bronx Bombers.
The Mets and Yankees faced off on Friday for the start of their Subway Series, which also marked the return of star Juan Soto to the Bronx for the first time since he left the Yankees in free agency last winter. Many insiders expected Soto to re-sign with the Yankees after he helped lead the team to the World Series last year, but he instead left for Queens and a $765 million contract for the Mets.
With the division-leading teams facing off on Friday, the Mets had a message to send to the Yankees.
Mets Herald Arrival of Juan Soto
Just ahead of the start of Friday’s game, the Mets shared an image of Soto warming up in the outfield at Yankee Stadium. The team also shared a succinct caption that goaded their crosstown rival a bit.
“Soto’s here,” the Mets wrote.
The confidence didn’t help the Mets much on the diamond in the first game of the three-game set. The Yankees took advantage of some mistakes from the Mets to blow the game open in a four-run third inning, going on to win 6-2.
Soto was met with some relentless booing from the Yankees faithful, but said after the game he expected the crowd to be passionate.
“I was ready for it,” Soto said, via ESPN. “They’re really passionate fans and they’re a little hurt, and they’re going to do the best for their team, and they just feel that way.”
Many fans brought signs taunting Soto and chanted at him throughout the game. Soto had some fun with the ribbing from fans, even giving a mock tip of the hat to the crowd before his first at-bat of the game.
“We were just joking in the dugout that I should do it, and I just did it,” Soto said. “Guys loved it.”
No Regrets From Juan Soto
Though many Yankees fans still harbor ill will toward Soto for picking the other New York team in free agency, the slugger said he’s happy with his decision to join the Mets.
“It was a tough decision. (The Yankees) were number one … but we couldn’t get it done,” Soto told Jon Heyman of the New York Post. “But at the end of the day, things work for a good reason. I trust what we’ve done. And we’ll see what happens.”
Soto added that he’s happy to play for a World Series contender. The Mets have led the NL East through most of the first six weeks of the MLB season.
“No, no. I made a decision, and I’m happy that I made it,” Soto said. “You look around. We have an unbelievable team. And it’s going to be a good team for a long time.”
Though Soto had a bit of a slow start to the season, he has recovered and has hit eight home runs with a .845 OPS so far.
Nathan Dougherty is a sports reporter covering the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins. Previously he wrote for the Rochester Business Journal and served as the assistant editor of athletic trade magazines Coaching Management, Athletic Management and Training & Conditioning. He is based out of Rochester, New York, and loves everything football. More about Nathan Dougherty
