Juan Soto Says 'I Don't Mind' If Yankees Fans Boo Me in Return After Mets Contract

Ahead of his first games at Yankee Stadium as a member of the New York Mets, Juan Soto isn't expecting a warm reception after leaving the reigning American League champs in the offseason.

"I don't mind," Soto told reporters when asked about the boos he might receive from Yankees fans.

"It's going to be 50,000 against one," Soto added while speaking with the New York Post. "They're going to try to get on me, you know. It's part of it.

"Whatever they do, they have a right to do it."

The Yankees will host the Mets for a three-game series in the Bronx starting on Friday night.

Soto left the Yankees to sign with the Mets on a 15-year, $765 million contract in free agency that is the richest deal in the history of the four major men's sports leagues in North America.

The Yankees made a competitive offer worth $760 million to Soto, but it would have been paid out over 16 years to bring the average annual salary down to $47.5 million.

Soto and Shohei Ohtani are the only players with an average annual salary of at least $50 million.

There have already been indications Yankees fans are unlikely to give Soto a warm reception. Videos of fans burning his pinstripe jersey were posted on social media after he signed with the Mets.

During an April 3 game between the Yankees and Arizona Diamondbacks at Yankee Stadium, a section of fans in the stands could be heard chanting "f--k Juan Soto" on the television broadcast.

That would be an intense reaction for a player who was only on the team for one year, but it's also an acknowledgement from Yankees fans of how good Soto was for their team.

Soto finished third in AL MVP voting after hitting .288/.419/.569 in 157 games during the 2024 regular season. He had the iconic moment in Game 5 of the ALCS against the Cleveland Guardians with a three-run homer in the 10th inning that sent the Yankees to the World Series.

If it's any consolation to Yankees fans, they are doing OK without Soto so far. They lead the AL East with a 25-18 record and have the second-best run differential in MLB (plus-81).

Any concerns about Aaron Judge taking a step back without Soto have been proved misguided. He is hitting .412/.497/.782 with 15 homers in 43 games, leading MLB in all three slash categories and home runs.

Soto and the Mets will play the Yankees in the opener of the Subway Series on Friday at 7:05 p.m. ET.