Inside The Mets

Mets' Juan Soto reflects on clutch home run in 2024 ALCS

In a recent interview, Juan Soto re-lived his epic at-bat in Game 5 of the 2024 ALCS that sent the Yankees to the World Series.

Logan VanDine

Oct 19, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto (22) celebrates after hitting a three run home run tenth inning against the Cleveland Guardians during game five of the ALCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images
Oct 19, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto (22) celebrates after hitting a three run home run tenth inning against the Cleveland Guardians during game five of the ALCS for the 2024 MLB playoffs at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images / David Dermer-Imagn Images
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As Juan Soto's new baseball career with the New York Mets gets underway this spring, the superstar outfielder is also reflecting on his lone season with the New York Yankees.

Speaking exclusively with SNY's Andy Martino, Soto talked about his epic at-bat in Game 5 of the ALCS against the Cleveland Guardians that resulted in him slugging a go-ahead three-run home run. In what ended up being a seven-pitch at-bat against Guardians reliever Hunter Gaddis, the 26-year-old was asked if he knew what pitch was coming on that seventh pitch.

“Yeah,” Soto said. “I did know a fastball was coming. I was telling myself, ‘I’m all over him. There’s nothing else he can do.’ He threw a fastball, and I just didn’t miss it.”

When Soto connected on the fastball in the top of the tenth inning with a trip to the Fall Classic on the line, the rest was history.

"He threw it right where he wanted it, I was just looking for it."

Soto's three-run homer gave the Yankees a 5-2 extra-innings triumph and sent them to the World Series for the first time since 2009.

Read More: See it: Juan Soto homers in first spring training at bat with Mets

Despite the Yankees eventually falling in five games to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series, it was certainly one of the most memorable home runs in recent MLB postseason history. Soto's at-bat was so clutch that Mets owner Steve Cohen, who was also watching the game, noticed during that seven-pitch battle just how talented and generational Soto is as a player.

"When you watch that at-bat, you realize how special he is," Cohen said.

After setting career-highs with 41 home runs and 128 runs scored last season, Cohen and the Mets signed Soto to a 15-year, $765 million contract this offseason. It is the largest contract in professional sports history.

With Soto already going yard in his first spring training at-bat as a Met on Saturday, you could certainly expect more clutch home runs coming his way this year and beyond donning Mets colors.

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Logan VanDine
LOGAN VANDINE

Logan VanDine is a contributing writer for On SI's Mets. Logan is a graduate of Rider University where he majored in Sports Media and minored in Sports Studies. During his time at Rider, Logan worked for Rider's radio station, 107.7 The Bronc as a sports host, producer and broadcaster, and for the school's paper: The Rider News. He began his time with The Rider News as a section writer for sports and was a copy editor for two years followed by being one of the sports editors during his senior year. Logan also placed third in the New Jersey Press Foundation Awards for sports feature writing. Aside from his work at On SI, he is also a writer for FanSided covering the New York Giants and Mets and also covers the Giants for Total Apex Sports. Give him a follow on X: @VandineLogan

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