Juan Soto wasted no time in showing his potential in the Yankee lineup, blasting an opposite-field home run off the scoreboard in his spring training debut on Sunday afternoon.
It was enough to get C-Mac even more excited about the season to come.
“You can tell right away,” C-Mac said. “Soto is gonna make such a presence.”
But before that home run, Soto went down to one knee after an awkward swing saw him turn his ankle, and appeared to walk a little gingerly back to the dugout. Fans on social media panicked, and while Soto turned out to be just fine (as the home run proved innings later), it was a reminder for C-Mac that there will be a sense of fear hanging over every Soto at-bat this season.
“You know that on a one-year contract…knowing he might not come back and can sign anywhere in the offseason, and knowing you traded away Michael King and a lot of pitching depth that you know is gonna hinder you this year…the idea that they traded away all that depth for Juan Soto, the fear of injury is overwhelming,” C-Mac said. “Every time the guy steps to the plate, I’m gonna be a little nervous because God forbid you trade for this guy and he gets hurt. I know it’s pessimism, but it sinks into all of us. Don’t say it doesn’t.”
Soto has been known for his durability, but that won’t stop C-Mac from worrying that an all-in season could be derailed by one unfortunate moment.
“That moment, it’s gonna live with us all year long, because this is the year,” C-Mac said. “And this is the lineup.”
