It felt like a breakup scene in a movie, only this time it was in front of 45,000 people and played out in pinstripes. Juan Soto, once the toast of the Bronx, stood in the same batter’s box where he launched postseason dreams just last October. Now, he was wearing blue and orange — and the fans let him have it.
Yankee Stadium didn’t just boo — it roared with heartbreak, rage, and betrayal. The Bleacher Creatures, once Soto’s loudest cheerleaders, turned their back on him.
Juan Soto runs onto the field with the entire bleacher creature section turned around pic.twitter.com/tSq3G0EGiX
— Talkin’ Yanks (@TalkinYanks) May 16, 2025
And with the kind of flair only a superstar knows how to pull off, Soto tipped his helmet in mock salute.
Juan Soto was boo’d in his first at-bat at Yankee Stadium
He responded by tipping his cap to the crowd 😂🧢
(Via @SNYtv)pic.twitter.com/eiL7KH1fKP
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 16, 2025
He didn’t silence the crowd, though. Soto went 0-for-2 but drew three walks, stole a base, and scored a run. He still found a way to be a menace, even if he didn’t swing his way into the box score.
In the middle of all this, the New York Yankees, his former team, beat the New York Mets, his current squad, 6-2 on Friday night’s Subway Series opener in the Bronx.
Yankees find fire in their Plan B stars
For every chapter that closes, a new one begins — and Paul Goldschmidt and Cody Bellinger are writing theirs in pinstripes. These two sluggers, brought in after Soto left the Yankees spurned, showed why Plan B might not be so bad after all.
Together, they collected five hits, scored three times, and drove in a pair. Goldschmidt delivered a two-run single during a four-run third inning and then another one in the fourth that blew the game wide open.
Bellinger was locked in, working counts and lining hits, giving Yankee fans a fresh reason to cheer.
It was as if the Yankees had traded heartbreak for hustle — and it worked.
Rodon wins ugly, but wins nonetheless
Carlos Rodon wasn’t perfect, but perfection wasn’t the ask — he just needed to battle. He did more than that. Despite walking four batters and flirting with trouble, the southpaw gave the Yankees five gritty innings of one-run ball.
He struck out five and allowed just two hits, improving to 5-2 on the season and lowering his ERA to 3.17. Rodon wasn’t at his sharpest, but he was gutsy, and in baseball, sometimes that’s the difference.
Think of Rodon’s outing like a stormy drive home — lots of swerving, windshield wipers on high, but you still pull into the driveway safe.
Mets’ Megill gets rocked in pivotal third inning
Tylor Megill had a brief moment of peace after surviving the first and breezing through the second, but the Yankees weren’t fooled twice. The third inning was a clinic in patience and punishment.
Goldschmidt drove in two with a single, Volpe added a sacrifice fly, and then Megill walked Oswald Peraza with the bases loaded — the kind of walk that makes managers lose sleep.
In total, he allowed four runs on four hits and five walks in just 2.2 innings.
His early exit left the Mets scrambling, their bullpen exposed earlier than hoped.
Loaisiga brings stability in long-awaited return
Jonathan Loaisiga hadn’t pitched in a big-league game in months, but on Friday night, he was back — and effective. The Yankees’ bullpen welcomed him with open arms and, more importantly, a lead to protect.
The right-hander pitched a scoreless frame, giving up only a double to Brandon Nimmo but escaping without further damage. With his signature sinker working and velocity climbing, Loaisiga could become a key bridge to the late innings.
Yankees fans know what a healthy Loaisiga can do. Seeing him back was another reason for Bronx optimism.
Devin Williams flashes brilliance in dominant eighth
Devin Williams has had a season to forget — but lately, he’s been rewriting the script. On Friday night, he looked every bit the All-Star he’s been in the past.
With the Yankees up, Williams took the mound in the eighth and struck out the side. His ERA still sits at an ugly 7.80, but don’t be fooled — it’s dropping, and fast.
Command, confidence, swagger — he had it all working again. For the Yankees, that’s huge. For the rest of the league, it’s a warning.
Popular reading:
MLB Network analyst says Yankees star should get the Barry Bonds treatment