JUAN Soto is ready to make his return to Yankee Stadium after signing with the New York Mets in the offseason.
Soto spent the 2024 season with the New York Yankees, but jumped ship for the New York Mets in free agency.
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Yankee fans have harbored quite a bit of ill will towards Soto since he defected across town, but the slugger isn’t shying away from it.
In fact, it seems that Soto is excited to face his former team as a member of the Mets.
“It’s going to be 50,000 against one,” Soto told Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
“They’re going to try to get one me, you know. It’s part of it. 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.”
The Yankees and Mets are thriving this season, with both New York squads looking like World Series contenders.
The Mets sit at 28-16 on the season and have the league’s best pitching staff with a 2.84 ERA.
The Yankees have a 25-18 record and have hit the most home runs in baseball.
Soto is going to have to be at his best against the Yankees, and fortunately for the Mets he is heating up at the right time.
After a slow start to the season, Soto has a 1.077 OPS in his last 12 games and got a day off on Wednesday.
He should be fresh and ready to go, and Mets executives are excited to see him compete against the Yankees.
“He just is the same guy regardless of what the moment is, and he’s very consistent in his preparation,” Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said, via The Athletic.
“He enjoys the moment. He also doesn’t make more of it than it is, and he understands he’s got to keep himself focused and centered.
“And I think he does a very good job of that.”
Soto isn’t the only player the Yankees with have to look out for though.
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The Mets currently have one of the best top thirds of a lineup in baseball with Soto, Pete Alonso, and Francisco Lindor.
Alonso is hitting .311 so far this season with nine home runs and 36 RBI.
Meanwhile, Lindor is hitting .297 with nine home runs and 26 RBI.
Of course, the Mets will need to be wary of Aaron Judge, who might be having the best peak of any player in baseball history.
Judge is currently hitting .412 with 15 home runs and 41 RBI.