On Friday, Juan Soto returned to Yankee Stadium for the first time since signing a record-breaking deal to join the New York Mets. It didn’t take long for New York Yankees fans to prove there’s bad blood with Soto in the Bronx.
Friday’s game kicked off the first Subway Series of the season, with the Yankees-Mets rivalry in full swing — with a little added fuel.
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Soto batted second in the Mets’ lineup and was greeted by a chorus of boos in his first at-bat at the top of the first inning. Yankees fans stood and voiced their opinion of the outfielder’s decision to defect to their crosstown rival.
Soto leaned into the moment, taking off his helmet and metaphorically tipping his cap to the booing fans. He then walked and stole second before the inning ended.
In the bottom of the first, Soto got another warm welcome from Yankees fans. As he ran out to right field, fans in the bleachers turned around, turning their backs to him. Others continued to voice their disappointment.
The Yankees went on to win the matchup 6-2. Soto had one run and three walks in the loss.
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Soto spent just one season as a Yankee but was a key part of the team’s postseason run last fall. The 26-year-old outfielder ended up picking the Mets this offseason, relocating to Queens after signing a massive 15-year, $765 million deal.
Friday marked the start of MLB’s first rivalry weekend, with the Subway Series at the center of it. Most of the rivalries are geographically based, including Chicago (White Sox at Cubs), Los Angeles (Angels at Dodgers) and Texas (Astros at Rangers).
