The recent Subway Series elicited strong emotions from New York Yankees fans, who faced off against a beloved former player for the first time since his departure.
On his Monday afternoon radio show, ESPN NY’s Michael Kay suggested that there was a deeper reason for Juan Soto’s departure after only one season in pinstripes, and that if it were entirely up to him, he might still be a Yankee.
“People in the know say that Juan Soto wanted to be a Yankee,” Kay told me. “He chose the Yankees.” But his family wanted him to be a Met, so he chose the team.”
It’s unclear if Soto has publicly mentioned family as a factor in his decision to join the Mets. In a March interview, he said the move was a “family decision,” but he could have been referring to the Yankees as a team.
“I mean, they tried the hardest they can, but things happen, you know?” Soto told NBC’s TODAY. “You have to go through a lot of things. We made this decision as a family. And I believe that was the best one, you know. They worked hard, but we were unable to complete the task.
In a recent interview, the 26-year-old superstar expressed positive feelings about his decision and said he has no regrets about moving across town.
“I made a decision, and I’m happy with it,” he told the New York Post. “You look around.” We have an incredible team. And it will be a strong team for a long time.”
Soto signed the largest contract in professional sports history with the Mets late last year, worth $765 million over 15 years. He had only been with the Yankees for one season, but he won the World Series with them in 2024, and fans were reluctant to let him go.
They’ve also been reluctant to see him return to their park.
Soto’s return was met with hostility (as expected), with fans chanting “F*** Juan Soto”, wearing t-shirts with the same slogan, and even contributing spiteful art projects like the one shown below.
Soto delivered an underwhelming performance over the weekend, much to the delight of Yankee fans, and the Yankees won the series with a brutal 8-2 victory on Sunday.
The Yankees begin a series against the Texas Rangers on Tuesday, May 20, with the first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
