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.
Juan Soto knew 😤 pic.twitter.com/1yDoLI3kVp
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) February 28, 2025
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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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Juan Soto Gave Little Smile-And-Nod Right Before Crushing Spring Training Home Run.
