Juan Soto returns to San Diego with Yankees

SAN DIEGO — It wasn’t even two years ago that Juan Soto first raced from the home dugout to right field at Petco Park. He was greeted with a rousing ovation by Padres fans who hoped he might wear brown and gold long into the future.

On Friday, the reception wasn’t nearly so kind — though Soto wasted little time providing those fans in the right-field seats with a memorable souvenir.

Making his return to San Diego, Soto launched a two-run homer in his second at-bat, as the Yankees opened their series against the Padres with an 8-0 victory. He finished the game 2-for-4 with a walk and a double in addition to his 14th home run of the season.

It came after he received a full-throated response from the Petco Park crowd in each of his at-bats — mostly boos, some cheers.

“I wasn’t expecting cheers or boos, but they did both,” Soto said afterward. “I was right in the middle. That’s very cool. That’s fine.”

Friday marked Soto’s first game against the Padres since the December blockbuster that sent him to New York. He seems to have found a home in the Bronx, where he has re-established his MVP credentials, hitting .315/.413/.581 in 53 games.

But clearly, there’s a place in his heart for San Diego.

“Seeing the ballpark, seeing the city and everything, it just brings a lot of memories back,” Soto said, speaking before the game. “I had a playoff run here, in a really cool city, really cool fanbase, I’m feeling great to be back.”

Based on the response from the crowd, the feeling wasn’t entirely mutual, though Soto was greeted warmly by a handful of his former teammates before the game. He even left a note in right field for Fernando Tatis Jr. after the eighth inning. (The contents of the note were not disclosed, but Tatis had robbed Soto of extra bases with a catch at the wall an inning prior.)

“It was something cool,” Soto said with a grin. “He enjoyed it.”

“We’re facing each other now — I’m not friends anymore,” Tatis said before the game, laughing. “Nah, not me, I love Juan. He’s a great guy, and he’s a great baseball player. But we’re in different uniforms now, so on the field it’s a little bit different.”

Speaking before Friday’s series opener, Soto recounted the fateful weeks leading up to the trade. He noted that he didn’t think he’d actually be dealt until about a week prior to the deal. The Padres were desperate for starting pitching and salary relief. The Yankees had starting pitching in abundance and needed a middle-of-the-order bat, preferably a corner outfielder.

At the Winter Meetings, the deal came together. Soto and Trent Grisham for five players, including right-hander Michael King and righty prospect Drew Thorpe (who was packaged in a separate deal that sent Dylan Cease to the Padres). On Friday, Soto was again asked about the possibility he might’ve remained in San Diego long-term.

“Man, this is a great city,” Soto said. “It’s a great fanbase, a great team, great organization. It was unbelievable for me. We never got that chance to keep talking a little bit farther, with the Padres. But it was a great team, a great fanbase. At the end of the day, we just couldn’t get it done, and you just keep moving forward.”

He’s moved forward in a big way in New York. By all accounts, the fit has been perfect. Yankees manager Aaron Boone was asked if Soto has been even better than he could’ve imagined. His answer? No, not really. He always knew Soto was pretty darn good.

“I think what I’ve enjoyed is what I believe is a really good teammate, a guy who’s been a good person in the room,” said Boone. “He’s about winning. All those kind of things — the intangible things, the behind-the-scenes things — that’s what’s gotten me the most excited.”

Said Soto of his time in New York so far: “It’s been great. It’s been great vibes in that clubhouse, an unbelievable group in there. We feel really happy and excited to be in the spot we are. Everybody knows what we want, and we’re all pulling the same way in the room. Mainly, it’s just the great vibes.”

The vibes weren’t always so great during Soto’s stint in the home clubhouse at Petco Park. The Padres reached the postseason in 2022, and Soto was a key contributor. But San Diego massively underperformed expectations in ‘23, missing the postseason despite World Series ambitions.

Soto, for his part, was the Padres’ best hitter last year. He finished sixth in MVP voting. Then again, Soto sets higher standards than that. He made that clear when he was asked what he expected the fan reaction to be this weekend.

“I really don’t know,” he said. “It’s tough for me, because they were right there every day for me. I tried my best. I played hard every day. But I didn’t play at my best. That’s one of the things I was sad about. I couldn’t show them how great I can be.”

Two months into his tenure with the Yankees, he’s leaving little doubt.