"I think it’s way too early" - Juan Soto plays down 'MVP' chants from Yankees fans after clutch home run against Rays
It's fair to say that the New York Yankees have found themselves a new hero in superstar slugger Juan Soto. Yankees faithful greeted their new star with 'MVP' chants during the series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium on Friday.
Soto continued his remarkable start to the Yankees career after dispatching a clutch three-run home run in the seventh inning to propel the Bronx Bombers to an impressive come-from-behind victory.
The Yankees fans showed their love for the former San Diego Padres star as 'MVP' chants reverberated around the ballpark. While Soto appreciated the gesture during the game, he was quick to play it down after his team's victory.
“I think it’s way too early,” Soto said with a laugh. “But it feels great. They just support me every day, day in and day out. It just feels amazing.”
Juan Soto's hit receives wild celebrations from his Yankees teammates
The 25-year-old Dominican is leading the Yankees offense despite the presence of veteran sluggers like Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. Juan Soto has five home runs to his name along with 20 RBIs and 18 walks in 20 games this season.
Soto's seventh-inning blast handed a 5-1 lead to the Yankees and the three-time All-Star let out an emotional roar to celebrate his hit. Aaron Judge greeted his new team-mates monster hit with a pumped reaction as several Yankees players cheered from the dugout.
“It’s just great,” Soto said of the team’s reaction. “Like I said before, we feel like family right now. We really stick together, and they’re really enjoying my success as much as theirs.”
While Yankees skipper Aaron Boone acknowledged Juan Soto's powerful hit, he admitted that he wasn't paying attention to the player's celebration and was fixated on locating the ball in the crowd.
“I actually didn’t see that,” Aaron Boone said of Soto’s celebration after the game. “I was admiring where that ball was going. Of the five homers, I think that’s the first one where he’s really, really stepped on [one], like, ‘Where is this going to land?’ I was paying attention to that, so I didn’t see all of that.”
Boone's team will face the Rays in the second game of the series on Saturday and will be hoping to clinch the series.