Juan Soto, now the face of the New York Mets after signing a record-breaking contract in free agency, is preparing for his first trip back to Yankee Stadium since leaving the Bronx after just one season.
Needless to say, Soto knows exactly what’s waiting for him…
“It’s going to be 50,000 against one. They’re going to try to get on me, you know. It’s part of it,” Soto told the New York Post.
While the box score will track the efforts of every player who takes the field this weekend, all eyes – and voices – will be fixed on Soto, whose departure from the Yankees to their crosstown rivals is seen by many fans as the ultimate betrayal.
Soto’s lone season in pinstripes came after a trade, not a personal choice.
But when the time came to sign long-term, he chose Queens over the Bronx – and Yankees fans sure haven’t forgotten.
Regardless of how you feel about Soto’s decision to leave the Bombers for the Mets, he deserves credit for how he’s handling the heat so far.
“Whatever they do, they have the right to do it. I’m just going to go out there and do my stuff. I’m just going to try to focus on my game,” he said.
As simple as that quote is, it proves that Soto is taking the right approach. No victim mentality whatsoever. He knows what’s waiting for him in the Bronx, and he acknowledges that the fans have a right to voice their opinions on him loud and clear.
The star slugger is no stranger to big moments, but few environments are as intense – or as personal – as Yankee Stadium when fans feel scorned.
Needless to say, this isn’t just another Subway Series. It’s the beginning of a new chapter in one of baseball’s fiercest rivalries – one that now runs straight through Juan Soto.
What are your thoughts on Soto’s return to the Bronx???
