Juan Soto wasted no time endearing himself further to New York Mets fans on Saturday. During his first at-bat in the team’s spring training opener against the Houston Astros, Soto sent the fourth pitch he saw from pitcher Colton Gordon over the center-field wall.
Soto’s blast was measured at 426 feet as the Mets opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning at Clover Park in Grapefruit League action.
The Mets’ $765 million man produced again in his second at-bat in the bottom of the second inning when he hit into a fielder’s choice that scored Brett Baty — owner of a new Chevy Tahoe thanks to Soto — to give the Mets a 3-0 lead.
Soto has 179 career home runs since breaking in with the Washington Nationals in 2018. Over the past two seasons with the San Diego Padres and New York Yankees, the 26-year-old has hit 63 total home runs and drove in 218 runs.
As far as instant impacts go, this was an encouraging start from Soto, who batted between Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso in the lineup. That kind of highlight is something the Mets are eager to see on a regular basis once the season begins.
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