Boos or not, Juan Soto stays unbothered in epic return to Yankee Stadium with Mets

Juan Soto knew what was coming, and still, the moment had an electric, almost cinematic, weight to it. As the New York Mets superstar walked up to the plate at Yankee Stadium on Friday night, the Bronx faithful erupted—not in admiration, but in fury. It was a chorus of 50,000 voices united in disapproval, just as he had predicted. “50,000 fans against one,” Soto told the New York Post ahead of the Mets-Yankees clash. He wasn’t wrong.Despite the storm of boos, there was an odd poetry in the moment. Soto, ever the showman, tipped his helmet and flashed a grin, even mouthing what appeared to be a “thank you” to the home crowd. It was his first time back in the Bronx since Game 5 of the 2024 World Series—this time wearing the colors of the Mets, not the pinstripes that once defined his sensational 2024 season.In that unforgettable year, Soto had delivered an MVP-caliber performance for the Yankees—slashing .288/.419/.569 with a career-high 41 home runs and helping power the team to its first World Series appearance since 2009. His towering, go-ahead homer in the 10th inning of Game 5 of the ALCS had practically etched him into Yankee lore. But that chapter ended unexpectedly when Soto opted for a 15-year, $765 million megadeal with the Mets—just $5 million more guaranteed than the Yankees' 16-year offer.The decision stung, and Yankee fans made sure he felt it. While his first at-bat resulted in a five-pitch walk off Carlos Rodón, it wasn’t about the stats that night—it was about the theater.And the Bronx Bleacher Creatures added their own twist to the drama. When Soto took his position in right field in the bottom of the first inning, they turned their backs to him—a symbolic act of betrayal felt by the fans during his free agency departure.Oddly enough, buried beneath the thunderous boos was a standing ovation—perhaps the crowd’s way of acknowledging his past heroics while simultaneously expressing their heartbreak.For Soto, it was a homecoming defined by tension, emotion, and undeniable star power. He walked away unshaken, wearing the boos like a badge of honor.Also Read: Juan Soto returns to Yankee Stadium and gets booed in a bizarre way