"Donald Trump wanted me to capture Juan Soto" - ESPYs host Shane Gillis shocks audience with throwaway 'alien' joke

New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto might have been snubbed from the All-Star game this season, but he was still mentioned during the 2025 ESPYs. Soto name was brought up at the awards show after popular comedian Shane Gillis cracked a joke involving him.

Gillis joked that Joe Rogan wanted him to host so that he could capture Adam Silver, as the podcaster thinks Silver is an alien. He then expanded on the joke by mentioning Soto and U.S. President Donald Trump.

“Joe Rogan wanted me to be here to host this award show so that I could capture Adam Silver because Joe thinks he's an alien," Gillis said. "Donald Trump wanted me to be here to capture Juan Soto for the same reason."

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While Soto was mentioned, he has been the talking point in the baseball world. Soto's snub from the All-Star game surprised many, as he is having a phenomenal season with the Mets.

Juan Soto's teammate revealed honest feelings after Mets star was snubbed from the All-Star game

After Juan Soto was snubbed from this year's All-Star game, his teammate, Edwin Diaz, shared his feelings about it. Diaz appeared on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM and said that he thinks Soto should have been in the All-Star team.

"I think he deserves to be in the All-Star team," Diaz said on Saturday. "You feel bad because the guy deserves to be there, but that's the decision people make. I know he's calm. He understands the process. So, I know he's good."

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The 2025 All-Star game ended with a National League victory, and Soto will return to action with the New York Mets on Saturday. He has 340 at-bats this season, with an average of .262. He has also recorded 70 runs, 23 home runs and 56 RBIs.

About the author

Varun is a Golf and MLB journalist for Sportskeeda with over 4 years of work experience in his bag. Currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, he worked for many sites, including EssentiallySports, FanSided, Khel Now, Get Football, and a few others.

Varun is a fan of golfer Scottie Scheffler due to the latter’s mindset, and he admires Aaron Judge and his ability to keep being consistent. As a purist golf fan, he would love to compete at the Masters if given the opportunity, but is also happy with LIV Golf driving more eyeballs towards the sport. If he gets the chance to play for an MLB team, he would love to play for the New York Yankees.

Varun’s mantra for writing factually correct feature articles is thorough verification. Another key element in his writing is staying updated with both sports through the official websites of pro wrestling and Golf. He has had the privilege of interviewing MMA legend Greg Jackson in his career so far.

Varun likes to spend his free time reading or writing poetry and fiction. He also plans to learn and play golf in his spare time.

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Edited by Victor Ramon Galvez