SI

Juan Soto Gave Little Smile-And-Nod Right Before Crushing Spring Training Home Run

Tim Capurso

Soto flashes a smile after fouling off a pitch.
Soto flashes a smile after fouling off a pitch. / Screengrab Twitter @SNY_Mets
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Juan Soto at-bats are often must-see television, not only because of his natural skill as a hitter and impressive command for the strike zone, but also for the level of flair with which he competes. Soto seems to love the game within the game when he's facing off against a pitcher.

And that was on full display during the New York Mets' spring training game against the Washington Nationals from Clover Park in Port St. Lucie, Fla., on Friday.

In the bottom of the second inning with one runner on and two outs, Soto, facing Nationals pitcher Shinnosuke Ogasawara, took a curveball low and away for a ball. Then, perhaps expecting a fastball on the second pitch, Soto instead got a changeup in the zone and was a tad bit early on the swing, fouling the pitch off.

Then, Soto turned to Ogasawara, and flashing a smile, nodded at him as if to say, good pitch but I'm onto you.

On the next offering, Soto got a fastball away and crushed it to the opposite field at 106.1mph for a 380-foot home run.

Soto signed a record $765 million contract to join the Mets back in December. So far so good, as the star slugger has belted two home runs in Grapefruit League action.

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Tim Capurso
TIM CAPURSO

Tim Capurso is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in November 2023, he wrote for RotoBaller and ClutchPoints, where he was the lead editor for MLB, college football and NFL coverage. A lifelong Yankees and Giants fan, Capurso grew up just outside New York City and now lives near Philadelphia. When he's not writing, he enjoys reading, exercising and spending time with his family, including his three-legged cat Willow, who, unfortunately, is an Eagles fan.

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