When Juan Soto trotted out to right field at Yankee Stadium last season, he received a hero's welcome. Actually, the adulation went deeper than that. The Bleacher Creatures saw him as a savior, brought to the Bronx to restore championship-caliber excellence to one of the most universally recognizable brands in sports. Needless to say, the dynamic is quite different now that he represents the New York Mets.

The spurned New York Yankees fans, as expected, unleashed their wrath on Soto as he made his way to the batter's box and toward the outfield. A chorus of boos reverberated throughout the stadium, perhaps even extending past East 161st Street. Although he played it cool, tipping his cap and waving to the crowd, the experience was surely a surreal one for the most polarizing man in New York City.

Many people predicted this exact outcome long before the 26-year-old hit the open market. Mets owner Steve Cohen had the means and will to land a star like Soto, and the player himself never chose the Yankees — he was traded there from the San Diego Padres in December of 2023. Some hoped that a sensational individual campaign, which culminated with a splendid October, would convince the four-time All-Star to stay put.

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But fans' confidence immediately wobbled after the 2024 season ended. Following a catastrophic loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 5 of the World Series,  Soto said he would consider all 30 teams in free agency. The timing of such comments was not ideal. Since he officially rebuffed the Yankees for the Mets, via a 15-year, $765 million contract, the five-time Silver Slugger Award winner has stoked the Bronx's fury by claiming he went to Queens for competitive reasons.

Juan Soto essentially expressed concern about the state the Yankees would be in six or seven years from now, believing the Mets to be better positioned for long-term success. New York fans do not forget those type of remarks. They hold grudges and collect receipts. Considering the 2019 World Series champ has yet to produce to the level he did in 2024, Yankee Stadium already feels like it has enough ammo to use on the defector.

It is early, though. Soto, who had a .255 batting average, .380 on-base percentage, .465 slugging percentage and .845 OPS with eight home runs and 20 RBIs entering the Subway Series, has plenty of time to prosper in orange and blue. The boos will persist regardless, but he can neutralize them by smashing the baseball this weekend.