Former New York Yankees Superstar Reveals How He Will Handle Hate From Fans

A former New York Yankees superstar knows some fans will have disdain for him, but he has a plan on how he'll handle it.

Feb 17, 2025; Port St. Lucie, FL, USA; New York Mets right fielder Juan Soto (22) throws a baseball during a spring training workout at Clover Park. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The New York Yankees suffered a major loss this offseason when superstar right fielder Juan Soto departed in free agency.

It was a huge blow for fans to see him leave, but it hurt even more when he opted to sign with their crosstown rivals, the New York Mets. It took a historic deal to pry him away from the Yankees, as the two sides agreed to a 15-year, $765 million deal, the largest in North American sports history.

Such a move was going to bring out some disdain from a fan base who passionately rooted for him throughout the 2024 campaign.

Soto only added fuel to the fire during his introductory press conference in December when he declared that New York has been a Mets down for a while.

Ultimately, which team runs the city will be determined by who can find the most success on the field.

Championships will be the determining factor, so the comments he made will add even more pressure on top of what already exists since he will need to live up to the massive contract.

Over the weekend, Soto arrived at Port St. Lucie, Florida for his first spring training with the Mets.

He answered several questions during his press conference. One of the topics he was asked about was how he would deal with the hate that would undoubtedly come from fans disappointed by his departure.

Soto offered a direct, two-word answer; winning games.

"That's all you gotta do. You don't have to talk too much. You just gotta go out there and get the job done."

Juan Soto was asked about how to deal with pressure in New York:

"Winning games." pic.twitter.com/KMPeArqgPj

— SNY (@SNYtv) February 16, 2025

It is easy to understand why some Yankees fans would have such strong emotions for Soto despite him being with the franchise for only one year. He helped the team get back to the World Series for the first time since 2009, producing at an incredible level every step of the way.

Soto hit a career-high 41 home runs in the regular season and added 31 doubles, his second most in a single campaign. The 166 hits and 128 runs he scored were also career-bests, while his 109 RBI finished one short of his career-best.

For the sixth straight campaign, he recorded more walks than strikeouts as well.

His production did not slow down under the bright lights of October. He recorded a slash line of .327/.469/.633 with four home runs, three doubles and nine RBI.

Instead of seeing that production in pinstripes, fans will have to watch him produce in orange and blue.