It did not take long for Juan Soto to settle into a New York Mets uniform. In fact, it took just one at-bat.
In his opening plate appearance of spring training, the $765 million man took a 2-1, 91 mph fastball from Houston Astros starter Colton Gordon 426 feet out to left-center for his first home run in blue and orange — which came a few moments after Gordon snuck a fastball by him.
“When he threw that fastball, I could see it on his face, he was feeling himself,” Soto said of Gordon (h/t SNY). “So he came in with another one, and I just had to make sure I didn’t miss it.”
He certainly did not miss it. The ball left his bat at 106 mph while his manager, Carlos Mendoza, was awe-struck.
“He’s pretty incredible, not going to lie,” Mendoza said. “I’ve been watching this guy take live at-bats for the past four, five days. Just having that ability to turn the switch like that. You put a different guy on the mound with a different uniform and he’s just locked in. Regardless of the results, he was a different guy in the box today… You just saw his demeanor. Then he goes out there and hits that homer. Incredible.”
Juan Soto goes yard in his first at-bat in a @Mets uniform! #SpringTraining pic.twitter.com/yDsYWKYxh6
— MLB (@MLB) February 22, 2025
Soto batted second behind Francisco Lindor on Saturday, which could be an immediate preview of things to come in 2025 and perhaps the five seasons after that. That was as good of a first impression as he could have made.
“It feels pretty good,” Soto said. “It means everything that what we’ve been doing is paying off. We’ve been working hard this offseason to be ready and to be in good shape… I try to bring the vibes and bring the good energy everywhere I go. For me, if I hit a homer or not, it’s just how it looks inside and in the clubhouse and in the dugout. That’s what it’s all about. For me, everybody knows who you are. They have to see it with their eyes.”
For more on Juan Soto and the Mets, visit AMNY.com
