For the higher a part of the subsequent decade, Juan Soto and Max Fried might be inextricably linked.
Two days after Soto left the Yankees for a record-setting 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets over the winter, the Yankees agreed to an eight-year, $218 million cope with Fried of their first main post-Soto splash.
Sunday evening’s Subway Sequence finale within the Bronx marked the primary time Soto and Fried confronted one another since these historic signings.
And in what was positive to be the primary of many matchups between the celebs within the years to come back, Fried obtained the perfect of his big-name counterpart.
Soto went 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts towards Fried within the Yankees’ 8-2 win.
Within the first inning, the lefty-swinging Soto popped out to proper discipline on a 3-2 sinker that the left-handed Fried dug in on his arms.
Within the third, Fried froze Soto with a giant, sluggish curveball for a known as third strike and the ultimate out of the body.
And within the fifth, Fried pumped a well-placed 95-mph sinker previous the slugger, once more for the ultimate out of the inning, a lot to the delight of a sellout crowd of 48,028.
These at-bats kicked off an 0-for-4 evening for Soto. He additionally grounded out within the eighth inning towards Devin Williams, who, too, was a part of the Yankees’ offseason pivot.
Soto completed the three-game sequence 1-for-10 with 4 walks, three strikeouts and a stolen base. His lone hit was a single, and the Yankees gained the sequence, two video games to 1.
It was Soto’s first sequence at Yankee Stadium since he selected the Mets over the Yankees after an unprecedented offseason bidding warfare, turning him into public enemy No. 1 within the Bronx.
Yankees followers fell in love with Soto final yr – his lone season in pinstripes – when he hit a career-high 41 residence runs and helped cause them to their first World Sequence in 15 years.
Many felt betrayed when he left – for his or her crosstown rivals, no much less – they usually let him hear it all through the weekend’s three-game sequence.
Soto was relentlessly booed and heckled, other than within the first inning of Friday evening’s opener, when followers within the right-field bleachers turned their backs to him in unison as he took his place on protection.
Chants ranged from the modest “overrated” to the way more obscene.
Some followers taped Ben Rice’s title over Soto’s on their No. 22 jerseys in a nod to the Yankee who at present wears the quantity. Others wore shirts that learn “Soto Who?”
“I was ready for it,” Soto stated after Friday’s sport. “They’re really passionate fans and they’re a little hurt, and they’re going to do the best for their team.”
ESPN, which broadcast Sunday’s sport, had marketed that Soto could be mic’d up for an in-game interview, just for Brandon Nimmo to do it as a substitute.
Sunday started with a pleasant second for Soto.
As he warmed up within the outfield earlier than the sport, Soto linked up with Aaron Decide for an embrace, a smile and some phrases.
The boos resumed when the sport obtained underway, however for the third day in a row, Soto took it in stride.
He joked with the followers, pointing to himself and shrugging as if to fein disbelief that he was being jeered.
After he made a working catch on an Austin Wells line drive to finish the fourth inning, Soto tossed the ball into the Yankees’ dugout as a substitute of giving it to a fan.
However in the long run, the Yankees got here out on high of their first reunion with Soto, who’s now hitting .246 with eight residence runs.
Soto will attempt to even the rating over Fourth of July weekend, when the Yankees go to Citi Area for half two of this yr’s Subway Sequence.
Initially Revealed: Might 18, 2025 at 10:24 PM EDT
