Fans rose to their feet for Juan Soto's Yankee Stadium return in a rare standing jeer, and he responded by taking off his helmet, tipping it to the crowd and touching it against his heart.
Having spurned the Yankees' riches for the Mets' even greater fortunes, Soto was the center of attention back in the Bronx, wearing bright orange wristbands that could be spotted from the farthest seats.
"I talked to him a couple of days ago and he's ready. He knows what's coming," Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said before Friday night's 6-2 Subway Series loss to the Yankees. "He's just got to enjoy it, embrace it and be himself."
Soto walked in his first three plate appearances, scoring on Brandon Nimmo's single in the fourth, grounded out in the seventh and hit a game-ending flyout with two on. He made a weak three-hop throw home on Anthony Volpe's 243-foot sacrifice fly.
When Soto jogged to right field for the bottom of the first, many of the Bleacher Creatures turned their backs on him. When he caught Cody Bellinger's inning-ending flyout in the eighth and tossed the ball in the seats, a fan threw it right back onto the field, prompting cheers.