Juan Soto blasts first home run as a Met: Proves $765M deal was worth every penny
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Juan Soto cut and missed on the first four-seam fastball he saw on Saturday. The second? He was not going to miss.
Soto immediately showcased the talent that the New York Mets are getting after their seismic $765 million signing this winter.
In his first spring training at-bat with the Mets, Soto blasted a thigh-high fastball from Houston Astros starter Colton Gordon 426 feet over the left-center field wall, bringing a sold-out Clover Park crowd to its feet on Saturday afternoon.
“One hundred percent. Even with those live BPs, I have the same mentality,” Soto said about capitalizing on the second fastball. “When he threw that fastball, I could see on his face, he was feeling himself. He came with another and I just gotta make sure I don’t miss it.”
Soto provided Mets fans with an unforgettable debut, adding another RBI on a fielder’s choice in the second inning to kick-start Grapefruit League play. The Mets took down the Astros 6-2 in the teams’ spring opener.
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“Pretty incredible, I’m not gonna lie,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “I’ve been watching this guy take some live at-bats for the past four or five days and then just having the ability to turn the switch like that. You put a different guy on the mound with a different uniform and he’s just locked in. Regardless of the results, it was a different guy in the box today.”
Soto left the park with regularity last season as a member of the New York Yankees, ripping a career-high 41 home runs to go along with 109 RBI.
In his first Grapefruit League action as a member of the Mets, Soto batted second behind Francisco Lindor and ahead of Pete Alonso.
Mets Share 4-Word Reaction to Juan Soto Homering in Spring Training Debut
The most anticipated debut of MLB spring training came on Saturday when 26-year-old superstar Juan Soto took the field for the first time with the New York Mets in a game against the Houston Astros.
Soto, who signed the largest contract in American sports history this offseason after spending last year with the New York Yankees and reaching the World Series, wasted no time making his presence felt.
In his first at-bat of the season, he homered to deep left center, sending Mets fans into a frenzy. The team responded with an electric four-word reaction.
“GET USED TO IT.” The Mets posted.
“WE’RE DEFINITELY BACK NOW.” A fan said.
“Hopefully that’s one of many Soto HR calls we hear from Gary over the next 15 years….” Another fan posted.
“It’s spring training but I’m hyped!!!!! LETS GOOOOOO!!!!!!” A fan commented.
“I need this pallete cleanser after watching Giants football. Thank god for baseball season.” Another fan said.
One more fan added, “He was meant to be here, he looks so happy!!!”
The Mets fell short in the NLCS last season but have had one of the most impressive offseasons of any team, aiming to build a perennial World Series contender, with Soto as the centerpiece.
In his seven-year career, Soto has made four All-Star appearances, won five Silver Slugger awards, and captured his first title in 2019 with the Washington Nationals. Last season, he posted a .288 batting average with 166 hits, 41 home runs, and 109 RBIs, maintaining a .419 OBP and a .989 OPS.
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