Unsurprisingly, the New York Yankees let superstar outfielder Juan Soto hear it in his highly anticipated return to the Bronx ... all night.
The crowd was roaring as soon as Soto stepped up for his first at-bat in Yankee Stadium in New York Mets threads. Then, the drama continued when he went out to right field for the first time, with the Bleacher Creatures turning their backs to him. Fans jeered again for the second plate appearance; you get the point.
Soto is now a stranger in the place he once called home. Or, even worse, he's public enemy No. 1. Nonetheless, the Yankees faithful may have gone slightly overboard and made fools of themselves.
A Yankee fan had a "boo this man" sign in regards to Juan Soto.
— SNY (@SNYtv) May 17, 2025
Keith: "I hope you feel better, sir"
Ron: "Outstanding arts and crafts"
Gary: "What font did he use?" pic.twitter.com/F5rHkwvlXD
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Yankees fans humiliate themselves in Juan Soto's return to the Bronx
See what we mean? Look at this guy, a grown man walking around with a cut-out of Soto's head, with "Boo this man!" and "BOOOOOOOO" written above and below. SNY's broadcasting trio of Gary Cohen, Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling couldn't help but make fun of him during the game.
"I hope you feel better, sir," Hernandez said before Darling complimented the fan's "outstanding arts and crafts." Meanwhile, Cohen was jokingly curious about what font he used. None of them could take him seriously, and understandably so.
Then there were the fans who turned their backs.
Yankees fans turning their backs on Juan Soto when he runs out on the field is objectively hilarious pic.twitter.com/G0udHV9ZON
— Mike Salvatore (@MikeSalvatore10) May 16, 2025
Soto didn't even notice.
Juan Soto says he did not realize that Yankee fans in right field were turning their back to him tonight: pic.twitter.com/LdpP7yzcj8
— SNY (@SNYtv) May 17, 2025
For an organization that prides itself on being classy, how they treated Soto was far from that. Those who support the pinstripes predictably treated Soto as if he were a traitor, which only plays into his hands. They went above and beyond to try rattling the four-time All-Star, exposing themselves to ridicule.
For whatever it's worth, Soto and the Mets don't seem too offended by the fans' behavior, if at all. The 26-year-old told reporters he was "ready for it" and "[enjoyed]" the boos after the Mets' 6-2 loss to the Yanks.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza thought Yankees fans in attendance for the first Subway Series meeting of the 2025 MLB campaign were "very respectful." Compared to other experiences he's had in the Bronx, this was nothing.