There are 15 series going on across Major League Baseball this weekend, but all eyes will be on the Big Apple.
The battle between the New York Yankees and New York Mets is always something of a rivalry, but it’s a full-on feud this season. Mets outfielder Juan Soto will be making his return to the Bronx after helping lead the Yankees to the World Series in 2024.
Soto signed a 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets, smashing the worldwide record for a single contract with a professional team. Yankees fans feel betrayed, even though Soto was traded there and only played one year in the Bronx.
When Soto was a Yankee, he was part of an all-time offensive duo with Yankees captain and two-time Most Valuable Player Aaron Judge. Soto clearly appreciated Judge’s greatness, calling him the best hitter in the sport earlier this year.
With the showdown on the horizon, Judge spoke up on his thoughts on facing Soto and how they differed from those of his team’s rabid fans.
“It’s definitely personal for the fans and they can have their opinion, and we’ll kind of keep it at that because Soto is a good friend of mine,” Judge said, per Randy Miller of NJ.com. “We built a great relationship when he was here, so I’m always wishing him nothing for the best.
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“I think Soto made that decision for what he thought was best for him and his family, so nobody can really say anything about that besides him.”
Judge and Soto will be jogging out to the same right field position all weekend, and the differences in reactions to the sight of the two players probably can’t be overstated.
It’s sure to be a memorable weekend, which is exactly what MLB was hoping for. And Soto’s got 14 more years in Queens, so he’ll have plenty of chances to find the upper hand against Yankee fans.
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