Juan Soto wasted no time making an impact with his new team, the New York Mets. In his first spring training at-bat on Saturday, Soto launched a solo home run to left-center field in the opening inning against Houston. The Mets went on to secure a 6-2 victory.
Soto shared that his teammates were thrilled with the home run, though he jokingly mentioned that the worst reaction came from Jesse Winker, who felt some pain after Soto stepped on him. Despite the discomfort, Winker was still happy for Soto’s achievement.
This marks the second consecutive year that Soto has homered in his first spring training game. Last year, while playing for the New York Yankees, he hit a three-run home run in the fourth inning during a game against Toronto.
Soto, who signed a massive 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets this offseason, played in the second spot in the lineup on Saturday, between Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso. He smashed a 426-foot home run on a 2-1 pitch from left-handed pitcher Colton Gordon. Soto added to his contribution with a groundball that drove in another run in the next inning. These were his only plate appearances of the game.
Juan Soto’s spring training performance continues to impress, boosting his career average to .304 with 14 home runs and an OPS of 1.017 across 87 games.
The Mets were also likely encouraged by the strong outing of starting pitcher Clay Holmes, who recently made the switch from the Yankees to the Mets. While Holmes has made just four starts in his 311 big league appearances, he’s now transitioning to a starting role for the Mets. On Saturday, he threw 34 pitches over three perfect innings, striking out three batters.