This weekend’s Subway Series between the New York Yankees and New York Mets will be a reunion of sorts, with superstar Juan Soto making his first trip back to the Bronx since leaving the Yankees to sign a 15-year, $765 million deal with the Mets in the offseason.
Soto was a stud for the Yankees in his one season in pinstripes, smacking 41 home runs and slashing his usual incredible slash line to help New York to the American League pennant—their first since 2009.
Still, his departure left a bad taste in the mouths of some Yankees fans.
In the TikTok era, there are only two types of microphones—way too big and way too small. ESPN New York chose the former and asked fans to offer up their messages to Soto ahead of his return to Yankee Stadium.
While some fans fired direct shots at Soto for his departure, there were, delightfully, a few fans who had nothing but thanks for Soto and the work he committed to the team.
SUBWAY SERIES TIME! ⚾️🚊@ESPNNewYork’s Mega Mic: #TeamESPN went to Yankee Stadium and asked fans to send messages to Juan Soto!
— ESPN New York (@ESPNNewYork) May 16, 2025
Listen to Mets @ Yankees tonight at 7:05PM on @880ESPNNewYork and the @ESPNNewYork App! pic.twitter.com/kvwF7N4gbZ
Soto is well aware of what type of welcome could await him as he steps into the batter’s box on Friday night.
"It's going to be 50,000 against one,” Soto told Jon Heyman of the New York Post. “They're going to try to get on me, you know. It's part of it.”
While booing a departed superstar is nothing new, especially when they leave for a crosstown rival, the Yankees and their fans were aware that Soto was a rental from the moment he first donned the jersey, with his massive free agency decision looming. Soto will undoubtedly get some big boos this weekend, but maybe there will be a few thank you signs from fans scattered around the crowd, as well.
First pitch of the series is scheduled for Friday night at 7:05 p.m. ET.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Yankees Fans Get Brutally Honest With Juan Soto Ahead of Return to Yankee Stadium.
