Juan Soto fires cheeky dig at Yankees as $765m Mets star holds key to season turnaround

May 15, 2026 - 21:00

The eyes of the baseball world will circle in on Citi Field this weekend.

The New York Mets are bracing for a three-game series against the New York Yankees, more commonly known by baseball aficionados as ‘the Subway Series.’

Gleyber Torres #25 of the New York Yankees and Francisco Lindor #12 of the New York Mets exchange word as both teams' benches clear after Giancarlo Stanton #27 of the Yankees hits a two-run home run in the seventh inning of a game at Citi Field on September 12, 2021 in New York City. — The first of two Subway Series begins this weekend

Mets fans have endured a brutal start to the 2026 season highlighted by a 12-game losing streak and currently having the league’s worst offensive OPS.

But, there appears to be light at the end of the tunnel.

Soto makes subtle dig at Aaron Boone

The Mets enter the series with momentum, after a dominant sweep of the Detroit Tigers, while the Yankees arrive looking to snap a cold streak, having lost five of their last six.

At the center of the upcoming series will be Mets slugger Juan Soto, who signed a 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets in 2024, snubbing the Yankees.

There is obvious tension between the two parties.

Yankee fans burned their jerseys and turned their back on Soto during the series in the Bronx last season.

Soto took the opportunity ahead of the series to take some shots at his former team, channeling the mantra of his old manager, Aaron Boone, ahead of the series.

“What we want to do, it’s right in front of us. We’ve just got to go out there and get it,” Soto said, via SNY Mets.

The Yankees manager is known for saying that “it’s right in front of us” on a regular basis during press conferences.

Juan Soto #22 of the New York Mets greets manager Aaron Boone #17 of the New York Yankees prior to the game between the New York Mets and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Friday, May 16, 2025 in New York, New York. — Soto used a phrase his former manager has become known for when previewing the series

Juan Soto #22 of the New York Mets goes to bat during the game against the New York Mets at Oracle Park on April 3, 2026 in San Francisco, California. — Yankees fans have remained bitter that Soto chose the Mets over the Yankees

Normally used as a way to calm the usually intense manic New York Media, Soto used it as a way to express the current state of the Mets season.

Boosted by arrival of top prospect – Mets crawling back

Mets fans were calling for Carlos Mendoza’s head during their 12-game losing streak, but momentum has shifted.

Largely in thanks to the promotion of top prospect A.J. Ewing from Triple-A Syracuse.

Ewing became the first player ever to walk three times, hit a triple, and homer in the same game during his debut week, injecting much-needed life into the batting order.

The Mets still have a plethora of stars on the injured list, including Francisco Lindor and Francisco Alvarez.

Juan Soto #22 of the New York Mets bats against the Detroit Tigers during their game at Citi Field on May 14, 2026 in New York City. — A healthy Soto is the exact thing the Mets need right now in their effort to climb back to .500

Lindor’s calf is healing, but he is not expected to return anytime soon, and as for Alvarez, he underwent surgery for a torn meniscus on Thursday.

However, Soto finding his footing at the right time is the boost the Mets need to complete their first goal of climbing back to .500.

The stage will be set for an intense Subway Series, and for the Mets, a real chance to silence doubters and prove they are back and ready to challenge once again.

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