Juan Soto exploded out of the Mets’ dugout, leapt on his way to right field and pointed with both arms to the cheering Citi Field crowd. A cameraman awaited Soto in the outfield, eager to capture the spectacle as the 26-year-old superstar warmed up before the first inning of Friday’s 5-0 win ove r the Toronto Blue Jays in the Mets’ home opener. And just like that, a new era in Queens was underway. Soto went 1-for-4 with an RBI, a stolen base and a run in his first game at Citi Field since joining the Mets (4-3) on a 15-year, $765 million mega-deal — the largest contract in MLB history — in the offseason. Afterward, Soto said Citi Field felt like home. “It feels great,” Soto said. “This fan base is amazing. Like I said in the past, I didn’t realize how many fans they have and how passionate they are. It’s really cool.” A sellout crowd of 43,945 — the ninth-largest attendance for a regular-season game at Citi Field — showered Soto with cheers when he was introduced during the Opening Day pregame ceremony. The majority of those fans gave Soto a standing ovation before his first at-bat, including one waving a Dominican flag. It was a rowdy acknowledgement of the coup owner Steve Cohen pulled off when he signed Soto away from the Yankees and won an unprecedented bidding war that also included the Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers. “It’s special,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said before the game. “Especially after the offseason with all the rumors and, ‘Where’s he gonna go?’ Finally, he’s a Met, and getting to play in front of the home fan base for the first time, it’s going to feel real now.” Soto popped out in the first inning and grounded out in the third, with both at-bats coming against Toronto starter Kevin Gausman. But by his third at-bat, Soto gave Mets fans a reason to erupt. Facing left-handed reliever Mason Fluharty in the bottom of the sixth, Soto jumped on a hanging 1-0 sweeper and lined it to the right-field wall. Francisco Lindor scored from first base, extending the Mets’ lead to 3-0. “He’s a showman,” Lindor said of Soto. “He’s one of those guys that, when the lights are on and everybody is on top of him, he performs, so I knew I had to be ready and be in a position to score.” In the eighth inning, Soto made a running catch in front of the wall on a long fly ball off the bat of Anthony Santander — another moment that earned cheers from the crowd. “Typical Juan Soto,” Mendoza said after the win. “He’s going to help you win games in a lot of different ways, whether it’s getting on base, getting the big hit. Made a nice defensive play on Santander there toward the end of the game. Pretty good game for him overall.” Friday marked the seventh game of the Mets-Soto era. He is hitting .240 with three RBI and an .827 OPS, with his lone home run coming in the second game of the Mets’ season-opening six-game road trip. Soto’s unique combination of youth, production and success on the biggest stage made him one of the most coveted free agents in MLB history. He entered the offseason on a Hall of Fame trajectory, having eclipsed 200 home runs; won a batting title; earned four All-Star selections; and received five top-10 finishes in MVP voting through seven MLB seasons with the Washington Nationals, San Diego Padres and Yankees. Soto won a World Series with the Nationals in 2019 and went to another last season in his only year with the Yankees. He is fresh off of a season in which he struck a career-high 41 home runs. The Mets believe Friday was only the beginning of what’s to come. “It was pretty cool to see all the fans out there, cheering for you and supporting the whole team,” Soto said. “I think it was a really good experience and a great start.” ...read more read less