Juan Soto gets showered by boos with Yankees fans turning their backs on Mets superstar

Juan Soto is back in the Bronx for the first time since his blockbuster move to the New York Mets in the offseason. The New York Yankees fans made their feelings known on the return of their former player for the Subway Series on Friday.

The Dominican star was traded to the Yankees ahead of the 2024 season and emerged as a fan favorite, helping the Bronx Bombers to the World Series. Following a career year in 2024, Soto walked into free agency with many Yankees fans expecting the All-Star outfielder to re-sign for the team.

However, Soto turned down a $760 million, 16-year offer from the Yankees and joined cross-town rivals, the Mets on a $765 million deal, infuriating the Yankees fans.

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In the first game of the Subway Series, Yankees fans greeted Soto with loud jeers in his first at-bat with a section of fans also turning their back on the Mets star in the stands.

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Despite the jeers, Juan had a smile on his face and seemingly acknowledged the criticism by taking off his helmet and tipping it to the hostile crowd at Yankee Stadium.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza had revealed before the series opener that Soto was prepared for a hostile reception on his return to the Bronx.

“I talked to him a couple of days ago and he’s ready. He knows what’s coming," Mendoza said. “He’s just got to enjoy it, embrace it and be himself.”

Juan Soto ends up on the losing side on Yankee Stadium return

Ahead of the matchup, Juan Soto greeted Yankees manager Aaron Boone and several former teammates.

Although Juan Soto took the boos in his stride, it wasn't a happy return for the All-Star outfielder as the Yankees led the game 6-1 after eight innings. The game eventually finished with Soto's former team registering a comfortable 6-2 win.

Soto, who was in the limelight in the series opener, went 0-for-2 on his return to the Bronx. He will be hoping to have a bigger say in the team's upcoming games of the series.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash