The 2025 edition of the Subway Series is shaping up to be more than just a battle for New York. It’s becoming more and more apparent that it will be personal.
Juan Soto, now donning Mets blue after a blockbuster winter switch, added fuel to the city’s baseball rivalry with pointed comments about his new team’s championship future.
The Yankees and Mets already fought fiercely for Soto’s services in free agency, with the Mets ultimately landing the superstar outfielder on a record-shattering 15-year, $765 million deal – potentially worth up to $805 million with incentives.
Though the Yankees came close, reportedly offering $760 million over 16 years, Soto chose Queens.
Now, the team he helped carry to the World Series last fall appears ready to pretend he never existed.
According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, Yankees officials aren’t planning any public gesture of appreciation for Soto when the Mets visit Yankee Stadium on May 16.
Sherman asked team executives whether Soto might receive a tribute video and the response he received was eye-opening to say the least.
“When I asked a few Yankees executives about the two Mets, they suggested not likely for Soto because he only played one year for the team and probably a yes for (Clay) Holmes, who was a Yankee for 3 ½ seasons,” Sherman reported.
It’s a notable stance, considering what Soto accomplished in that one season.
He posted a dominant .288/.419/.569 slash line with 41 home runs, 109 RBIs, and a 178 OPS+ in the regular season.
In the postseason, Soto continued to shine – hitting .327 with four home runs, three doubles, and 14 walks over 14 games – as the Yankees reached their first World Series since 2009.
Still, despite that production and apparent camaraderie in the clubhouse, Soto’s exit wasn’t exactly on warm terms.
His decision to sign with the crosstown rival Mets left many in the organization annoyed, especially since he reportedly changed his phone numbered and indirectly (or directly) ghosted his Yankees teammates.
For fans, the return of Soto to Yankee Stadium in a Mets uniform will be anything but ordinary. It’s safe to expect many boos with a few brief cheers mixed in.
Soto may have helped bring the Yankees back to the Fall Classic, but in the Bronx, loyalty still counts – and crossing over to Queens might be unforgivable.
With no tribute video planned and tensions simmering, the 2025 Subway Series is set to be the most intense since the two rivals squared off in the 2000 World Series.
What are your thoughts on the Yankees decision to not acknowledge the return of Soto???
