Fans Get First Look at New York Yankees Superstar Juan Soto Taking Batting Practice
After arriving at Spring Training on Monday, outfielder Juan Soto stepped up to the plate wearing New York Yankees gear for the first time Tuesday.
Several videos of Soto's batting practice session went viral on social media, as it was fans' first chance to see the superstar actually suit up for his new club. The San Diego Padres traded Soto to the Yankees in December, just 16 months after they acquired him in a separate blockbuster trade with the Washington Nationals.
Soto is set to earn a record-breaking $31.5 million this season, as he and the Yankees agreed on the highest salary ever given to an arbitration-eligible player. Although New York has yet to extend one of its new franchise centerpieces, the 25-year-old is understandably drawing plenty of attention from Yankees fans who made the trek down to Tampa.
Soto even showed off his signature shuffle, getting low and shifting back and forth after taking a pitch during live batting practice. It's a move Yankees fans should get used to, considering Soto leads baseball with 412 walks over the past three seasons.
Soto hit .275 with 35 home runs, 109 RBI, 12 stolen bases, a .930 OPS and a 5.5 WAR with the Padres in 2023. Even at his young age, Soto has already managed to rack up 768 hits, 160 home runs, 483 RBI, 50 stolen bases and a 28.6 WAR in his career while batting .284 with a .946 OPS.
FanGraphs' ZiPS model currently projects Soto to finish 2024 with 33 home runs, 103 RBI, 11 stolen bases, a .275 batting average, a .937 OPS and a 5.8 WAR.
Soto could very well see his first in-game action Saturday, when the Yankees take on the Detroit Tigers in their Spring Training opener. New York's regular season opener is set for March 28 on the road versus the Houston Astros.
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