'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
First baseman Keith Hernandez is one of the New York Mets' most legendary players. During his six years in Queens, Hernandez won three All-Star caps, four Gold Gloves, a Silver Slugger award, and a World Series title. The organization retired Hernandez's number 17 jersey in July 2022.
On Sunday, Keith Hernandez, who now works as an announcer, further endeared himself to Mets fans by taking a hilarious dig at their cross-town rivals, the New York Yankees.
As a fly ball hit by Mets slugger Juan Soto was caught on the warning track by Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar, Hernandez cheekily claimed that a similarly hit baseball would've gone the distance at Yankee Stadium.
"Needless to say, that would have been a home run at Yankee Stadium." Keith Hernandez joked.
Trending
Soto, who enjoyed a hugely impressive campaign with the Yankees just before he signed with the Mets, finished the 2024 regular season with a career-high 41 home runs.
Life in Queens, however, has started a touch slower than Mets fans would have hoped, with the Dominican currently batting .258 with five home runs and 14 RBIs.
Mets legend Keith Hernandez assesses Juan Soto's greatest attribute, likens him to legendary Joey Votto
Speaking to insiders Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman on The Show on March 24, Keith Hernandez analyzed Juan Soto's greatest attribute. He claimed the Dominican employs a similar hitting approach to Cincinnati Reds legend Joey Votto.
"I was always impressed with his eye at the plate. He's got an eye like Joey Votto. He doesn't swing at too many bad pitches, hardly at all. The batting averages aren't so important, he hit like .280 last year, I think he is a .300 hitter but he hit 40 home runs... His eye is terrific... He doesn't chase and he makes the pitchers throw strikes [25:36]," Keith Hernandez said.
"He's so quick inside with the bat... Juan Soto is so quick inside and still goes the other way. It's jsut very very impressive and his body of work so far, you can't argue it. He's one of the best players [26:41]," Hernandez added
Despite Soto's slow start, the Mets are performing exactly as fans would have hoped heading into the season. With a 22-12 record, the two-time World Series winners are looking like the early favorites to take home the NL East title for the first time in a decade.
Hoping to also see their team in the mix when in the battle for the World Series come October, fans will be hoping Juan Soto can get back to his best as the season progresses.
