Juan Soto made his spring training debut as a New York Met on Saturday and wasted no time making a splash.
Soto crushed a 426-foot home run to center field off the Houston Astros’ Colton Gordon in the bottom of the first inning to put New York ahead 1-0. Mets fans gave Soto a standing ovation as he rounded the bases and started what they hope is a successful and exciting era for the Mets.
The club locked down Soto in free agency this winter by signing him to a 15-year, $765 million megadeal, the longest ever awarded to a baseball player.
Juan Soto as a member of the New York Mets
◽️1 AB
◽️1 HRWelcome to a new era ⚾️
🎥 @SNYtvpic.twitter.com/rbj4Ika7qh
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) February 22, 2025
The Mets are Soto’s fourth major-league team after his stints with the Washington Nationals, San Diego Padres and New York Yankees. He’s already been to two World Series and has been compared to Ted Williams for his home run power.
Last season, Soto hit 41 home runs with the Yankees while earning his sixth Silver Slugger Award and fourth All-Star selection. Soto is one of the best hitters of this generation, and he doesn’t turn 27 until October.
This story will be updated.
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(Photo: Rich Storry / Getty Images)
