Juan Soto won the 2022 MLB Home Run Derby defeating Seattle’s Julio Rodriguez in the final, and, in essence, dethroning Mets first baseman Pete Alonso in the process.
Alonso was hoping for a three-peat of his back-to-back derby championships, but it was not to be. Alonso fell short in the semifinals against Rodriguez. Soto took care of Hall of Famer Albert Pujols to get to the Finals.
While Soto is still a member of the Washington Nationals — until he actually does get traded, it didn’t stop the rampant speculation that he will be in another uniform, and a lot of that speculation is swirling around the Mets. In fact Twitter had a field day.
Pete Alonso and Juan Soto are on the FOX set together at Dodger Stadium
— SNY (@SNYtv) July 18, 2022
(via @MLBONFOX)pic.twitter.com/6vUD2RSWJK
For the third straight year a Met has won the Home Run Derby. Maybe?
— Howie Rose (@HowieRose) July 19, 2022
Juan Soto just reposted Donovan Mitchell’s Instagram story with Mets colors 👀 pic.twitter.com/cifcmKvsw0
— Amazin' Army (@WE_ARE_MET_FANS) July 19, 2022
Starling Marte working OVERTIME to get Juan Soto on the Mets 😂 pic.twitter.com/I0kYKNisKb
— FanDuel (@FanDuel) July 19, 2022
Get yourself someone who looks at you the way Juan Soto looks at Pete Alonso. @mets #LGM pic.twitter.com/QAoTqTPdmj
— Kate (@KateNYG) July 19, 2022
Don’t worry Yankees fans, Twitter had some room for fans of the Bronx Bombers to dream of a scary tandem of Soto, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton in the middle of the order.
Imagine this outfield for the next five years for the New York Yankees:
— Jake Montgomery (@JakeMontgomery_) July 18, 2022
- Juan Soto (LF)
- Aaron Judge (CF)
- Giancarlo Stanton (RF) pic.twitter.com/6nUx7HPMpe
Juan Soto having an animated conversation with Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton & Clay Holmes 👀 #Yankees @TalkinYanks @YankeesMuse pic.twitter.com/4wW1eUeVe6
— Max (@maxmonth) July 19, 2022
Soto turned down a $440 million, 15-year deal from the Nationals on Saturday according to multiple reports. The Nationals are looking to trade the slugger at some point, and the Yankees, Mets, St. Louis Cardinals, and San Diego Padres are reported favorites to land him. Soto has two years of arbitration eligibility left after this season, and is not a free agent until after the 2024 season.