"I still think it's way too early" - Juan Soto reflects on Yankees fans chanting MVP after two-homer game against Mariners
Wednesday’s game saw Juan Soto and the New York Yankees win 7-3 against the Seattle Mariners at the Yankees Stadium. After dropping the first two games of a four-game series, the Yankees bounced back with a victory.
Juan Soto once again showed his prowess by going 2 for 4 with three RBIs, maintaining his impressive .313 batting average and .978 on-base plus slugging percentage. He hit a 414-foot moonshot in the third inning followed by another homer in the sixth.
The stadium of 40,224 was filled with ‘MVP’ chants after the 25-year-old hit his second big fly. Talking about the chants in a post-game interview, Juan Soto said:
“I still think it’s way too early. Well definitely, it’s fine. You know, it’s fun to see those fans going added every day. They’ve been day in day out sharing for us no matter what and it’s really fun to see those guys out there.”
In 2021, Juan Soto was the runner-up for the National League Most Valuable Player award but lost to Bryce Harper. Soto has a list of achievements, though, earning three All-Star titles while also winning four Silver Slugger awards over the past few seasons.
In his debut season with the New York Yankees, he has recorded 13 homers, 40 RBIs and four stolen bases.
“I’m enjoying every part of every part of it. You never know how long this going to be like that, so you do try to enjoy it every second. So I just soak it all in,” Soto said.
In December 2023, the New York Yankees received Juan Soto in a trade with the San Diego Padres and inked a one-year, $31 million contract with him to avoid salary arbitration.
Yankees captain Aaron Judge expressed admiration for Juan Soto’s performance
The 2022 American League Most Valuable Player Aaron Judge went 1 for 3, hitting a two-run homer in the first inning against the Seattle Mariners. This season, he's going with a .268 batting average with 14 homers and 34 RBIs.
Discussing Soto's performance, Judge said (via ESPN):
“It gives me chills. The fans are definitely loving the show he’s putting on. It’s entertaining. It’s fun to watch. It gives everybody behind him a good look at all the guys pitches, what he’s trying to do that day.”
The New York Yankees (34-17) are leading the AL East and face the Seattle Mariners in the final game at Yankee Stadium.