Juan Soto didn’t give Yankees fans anything flashy before this weekend’s Subway Series. He didn’t poke the bear, and he didn’t try to stir up old feelings. He just answered the question straight.
“Who knows?” Soto said.
“But they know I gave my best to them. Some of them appreciate it.
Some of them don’t. You can’t control that.”
That was the kind of response that fits Soto perfectly, especially with the Mets set to be in the Bronx and the two clubs meeting on the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11. It was calm, honest, and completely in character for a player who, even after leaving, still leaves Yankees fans thinking about what might have been.
That feeling has lingered because Soto’s lone season in pinstripes was that memorable. He delivered his most notable statistical campaign to that point, helped the Yankees get to their first World Series since 2009, and came through with a homer against the Guardians in the ALCS that won’t be forgotten anytime soon. For a year, he looked like the kind of hitter the franchise could build around for a decade.
And it wasn’t just the numbers. Soto brought a presence the Yankees had been missing for a long time.
He was candid with the media, sharp on the field, and carried the kind of edge that made every at-bat feel like it mattered. Night after night, he played with the urgency of someone who treated the regular season like October.
That’s not something fans take for granted.
Now, of course, the Yankees and Mets are in very different places again, just as they were a year ago after Soto’s historic free agency decision in 2024. The Yankees made their Plan B work, and Brian Cashman’s pivot was enough to keep them in contention. Their process has been better, and their younger players have had more success.
The Mets, meanwhile, have been dragged by bad luck and a string of poor decisions. Their supporters know it, and they’ve had to wear it.
That’s part of why they tend to show up to the Subway Series with more edge and urgency than almost anybody else. Even when things go sideways, they usually find a way to make the Yankees uncomfortable.
That could happen again this weekend in the Bronx. But if the last few meetings are any indication, Yankees fans won’t be able to avoid thinking about Soto. They’ve mostly moved on, but they haven’t stopped appreciating what he did in 2024.
Mets fans can enjoy having him. Yankees fans can do the same thing in their own way: respect the player, remember the season, and be reminded every time these teams meet that Soto was as good as advertised - even if it only lasted one year.
In Other News...
Juan Soto Gave Yankees Fans A Brutal New Subway Series Talking Point
Juan Sotos first Subway Series game in Yankees pinstripes was the kind of night that can linger with a fan base, especially in a city where every swing and every misplay gets magnified. He went 1-for-5 with multiple strikeouts and never found the sort of impact at-bat that usually comes with his name, leaving the Yankees searching for a bigger moment from one of their most important bats.
The glove work in left field only added to the frustration, with some of the attention going to lapses in effort and positioning that stood out in a tight, emotional matchup. It was an ugly opening chapter against the Mets, though the larger story remains unfinished, and the Yankees will be hoping this is the low point rather than a sign of what the rivalry has in store. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Yankees Game Took A Disturbing Turn Fans Wont Forget
A Yankees-Mets game at Yankee Stadium on the 25th anniversary of September 11 took an unsettling turn when a fan ran onto the field carrying a Palestinian flag and wearing a No Kings jersey. Security quickly tackled the man, later identified as 38-year-old Kelly Marcucci, and the interruption brought a brief but jarring pause to a night that was already carrying extra weight because of the date.
Marcucci was charged with trespassing and a local ordinance violation, while the Yankees declined to comment afterward. It was the kind of scene that can overshadow everything around it, especially in a rivalry game at a ballpark where the crowd came expecting baseball, not a security response playing out in front of everyone. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Just Lost A Former Top Pitching Prospect For Nothing
A former top Yankees pitching prospect is moving on without the club getting anything back, with Washington claiming right-hander Chase Hampton off waivers and sending him to Double-A. Hampton had been part of the Yankees longer-term pitching pipeline, so this is the kind of departure that stings a little more than a routine roster shuffle, especially when another organization is willing to give him a fresh spot and a more immediate path forward.
To make room, the Nationals cleared a 40-man opening by shifting right-hander Matt Waldron from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day injured list, which ends his 2026 season. Washington also activated left-hander Richard Lovelady from the 60-day injured list, a pair of moves that helped complete the transaction around Hampton while leaving the Yankees with nothing in return. [Read more 🡒]