Feb 22, 2025; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto (22) looks skyward after touching home plate after hitting a home run in his first at-bat for the Mets against the Houston Astros in the first inning at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

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Juan Soto’s Mets journey begins with storybook moment

Welcome to Juan Soto, New York Mets

While the Yankees are busy reacting to a long-overdue policy change, their crosstown rivals just lived a moment straight out of a script. The New York Mets, desperate to step out of the Yankees’ shadow and claim the city as their own, got the perfect opening act from their $765 million man.

Welcome to Juan Soto, New York Mets

Juan Soto, in his first at-bat as a Met, went yard.

Number Juan. pic.twitter.com/HfS6ikoLmm
— New York Mets (@Mets) February 22, 2025

Yes, it’s just spring training. Yes, the games don’t count. But sometimes, baseball writes its own storylines, and Soto wasted no time in giving the Mets their first chapter. A towering 426-foot solo shot to left-center field in the first inning against the Houston Astros.

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For those keeping track, Juan Soto did the same thing last year in his first spring training game with the Yankees, crushing a three-run homer against the Toronto Blue Jays. But Mets fans aren’t concerned with the past – they just saw a glimpse of the future.

“I feel like everybody was really happy,” Juan Soto said after the game. “I would say the worst reaction was [teammate] Jesse Winker, that I stepped on him. He was really [in] pain, but he was happy at the same time.”

JUAN SOTO HOMERS IN HIS FIRST AT-BAT IN A METS UNIFORM pic.twitter.com/e1IO8WTc5T
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) February 22, 2025

Of course, the Mets didn’t sign Juan Soto to a record-setting 15-year, $765 million deal just for spring training home runs. But this was the kind of start a team dreams of when they invest in a generational talent.

A positive sign from Clay Holmes

While Juan Soto stole the headlines, the Mets had another encouraging sight on Saturday – Clay Holmes. The former Yankee, now transitioning to a starting role, threw 34 pitches across three perfect innings, striking out three.

Clay Holmes's new "Kick Change." pic.twitter.com/YU1sWTfPuj
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) February 22, 2025

Holmes, who has started just four of his 311 big league appearances, is attempting a shift from reliever/closer to starter, and if the Mets can turn him into a reliable arm in the rotation, it would be yet another slap in the Yankees’ face, especially the fanbase.

Juan Soto

Mets

Mohsin Baldiwala

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Mohsin Baldiwala is a Master’s student in Journalism and freelance content producer who got hooked on baseball through Seinfeld’s hapless George Costanza. The same reason why he’s a Yankees fan. He writes about sports because he believes it can offer a brief escape from the world’s chaos. Even if that means enduring the heartbreak of the 2024 World Series.