Welcome back to the Mets Beat newsletter! Anthony DiComo has covered the Mets for MLB.com since 2007, including the past 16 seasons full-time on the beat. NEW YORK -- Asked this week if he’s eager to play in his first Subway Series as a member of the Mets, Juan Soto did not hesitate to answer in the affirmative. What is he most excited about? “The crowd,” Soto said. Even if they boo? “I don’t mind.” • This Bronx story begins with Soto returning. Will it end with a Subway World Series? That’s good news, considering Soto is near certain to endure a hailstorm of negative energy in the Bronx after leaving the Yankees for the Mets on a record $765 million deal. Although the early reviews of his performance with his new club have been good-not-great, few doubt Soto’s ability to round into MVP-caliber form before long. A three-game Subway Series at Yankee Stadium would be just the place to do it. “We’ll see how he’s treated,” said Mets starter Clay Holmes, who will also be returning to Yankee Stadium for the first time since leaving through free agency. “His focus is going to be on putting up good at-bats. He’s always able to lock it in in those big moments. So it will be fun to watch him.” |
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Perhaps the Subway Series will offer both Soto and Yankees fans a sense of closure. Since Soto spurned the Yankees for the Mets last December, he hasn’t quite been able to escape the shadow of his former team. First there were Soto’s comments during his introductory press conference, when he said he hadn’t spoken to any of his ex-teammates since the World Series. (Soto has since heaped plenty of praise on Aaron Judge and Co., but some fans in the Bronx bristled at the idea of him ghosting the Yankees.) There were pejorative Soto chants during a Yankees game in April that didn’t even involve him, then there were Soto’s observations to The New York Post about pitchers treating him differently without Judge behind him -- words that seemed innocent enough on the surface but that nonetheless sparked their own 24-hour news cycle. Apparently, this is what happens when one of the most talented players of a generation leaves one rival for another on the largest contract in professional sports history. |
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Passions catch fire. Feelings get bruised. Yet the man at the center of it is the one who seems least emotional about the whole thing. “He’s going to go in there with good memories,” said another Yankee-turned-Met, manager Carlos Mendoza. “He had a really good year with them, went to the World Series with them. It will be exciting.” Soto aside, this year’s Subway Series carries additional weight for the simple fact that both teams rank among baseball’s best. Both are in first place (with some cushion) in their respective divisions. Both are coming off strong playoff runs. Both expect to last deep into October yet again. Soto, who’s batting .255 with eight home runs and an .845 OPS through his first 43 games as a Met, should be at the center of any such run his team is able to make. But first he must face the music this weekend at Yankee Stadium -- and those around him don’t think he’ll have any trouble handling it. “I think he just is the same guy regardless of what the moment is,” Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said. “He’s very consistent in his preparation. He enjoys the moment. He also doesn’t make more of it than it is, and he understands he’s got to keep himself focused and centered. And I think he does a very good job of that.” |
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MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
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Who is the all-time hits leader at Citi Field? A. Jeff McNeil B. Daniel Murphy C. Brandon Nimmo D. David Wright |
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For the record, David Wright has no problem with those who have dubbed Judge the new “Captain America.” A quick history lesson: Wright, who excelled in two World Baseball Classic tournaments, became known as “Captain America” while delivering a strong performance in the 2013 event -- mere weeks before the Mets named him the fourth captain in franchise history. A self-professed “fan of the World Baseball Classic from Day 1,” Wright has always spoken highly of the event. He was a natural choice for the moniker. Judge, who will serve as Team USA’s captain next year, has earned similar praise despite never previously appearing in a WBC. “Well, he’s hitting, like, .900 with 100 homers through April, so I don’t have any objection to that,” Wright said during a rare visit to Citi Field this week. “I mean, I wish I could hit like that.” Wright, who values his family time in California and has no interest in a coaching or management position with the Mets, was subsequently asked if he might enjoy a part-time role with Team USA in the future. He called the idea “interesting.” “I’ve got two jerseys hanging in my office,” he said. “I’ve got my World Series jersey from 2015, and then I’ve got my Team USA jersey. Team USA is near and dear to my heart for sure, so that seems like it would be fun to be involved in some way.” |
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• The Mets (still) have the best rotation in baseball, but it’s going to be changing soon. Here’s a look at the medium- and long-term possibilities. • How about what Brett Baty has done? Seemingly buried at the end of April, Baty is back this month with a vengeance. Is this hot streak for real, or just another false start in a career full of them? |
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B) Murphy After playing the first half-season of his career at Shea Stadium, Murphy racked up 463 hits over 10 seasons as a home and visiting player at Citi Field. But McNeil (402), Nimmo (388) and Pete Alonso (382) could all pass him this season. |
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