Juan Soto carries himself with such positivity, and joy as a member of the New York Yankees. And the fans have embraced him, as if he was always a member of their beloved Bronx Bombers. But when Soto entered the first game of three against the San Diego Padres on Friday night, the Friar Faithful were not so welcoming. Soto was met with boos by Padres fans, and he laments that he did not play better against his former team.
“It’s kind of tough for me because (the fans) were there every day for me,’’ Soto said before the game. “I know I tried my best. I played hard every game. But I didn’t play at my best, you know? “And that’s one of the things I was kind of sad about, because I couldn’t show them how great I can be," reported USA Today
The Padres had a season to forget in 2023 and even though Soto was not fully responsible for their failed season, "he epitomized the fans’ frustration over their grossly underachieving 82-80 season." And those fans let him have in a sold out Petco Park. From his first at bat, Padres fans bellowed their displeasure with Soto. Their wounds run even deeper with the kind of season their former outfielder his having with his new team.
"Soto, 25, entered Friday as the favorite to win the American League MVP award, hitting .312 with 13 homers and 41 RBI, with a .409 on-base percentage, .563 slugging percentage and .972 OPS. He has been one of the game’s most dangerous hitters with runners in scoring position, hitting .357 with a .619 slugging percentage, with three homers and 28 RBI. He added to his totals Friday night, launching a two-run home run in the third inning," reported USA Today.
This series in San Diego had been billed to be an exciting, well-matched set of games. Instead, it appears to be drama-filled. Soto was supposed to be the slugger to end the Padres 55-year World Series drought. He wasn't. And although the team tried to keep him, the Padres needed slash their payroll. And now Soto is shining brightly in the spotlight of the New York audience. So, the Yankees will try to keep him and hope that with his success here and desire to play for the Yankees, the two sides will find a way to make it happen.
But for now, the Padres and the Yankees will head into their third game of the series, dominated by New York. Boos will only impact you if you let them. And for the likes of Soto, those boos won't impact his performance, but they do remind him of the salt in his former team's wounds- wishing he could have done more to help the Padres reach the success they seek.
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--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof
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