"Hal better be on the way to bank" - Yankees fans overjoyed as Juan Soto crushes home run during debut in pinstripes

Juan Soto made a memorable debut for the New York Yankees during their spring training game against Toronto Blue Jays as the slugger hit a three-run bomb to stretch their lead on Sunday. It was one of the simultaneous split games New York was playing, with the other one being against the Philadelphia Phillies.

Soto was traded from the San Diego Padres during the offseason with the Dominican set to enjoy the final year of his contract in the Bronx. The slugger is expected to hit free agency at the end of this year. But if the 25-year-old displays the same prowess that made him one of the world's best, then his free agency might be short-lived as the Yanks will be tempted to keep him as a long-term option.

That glimpse of power was on display as Soto hit a three-run, opposite-field bomb against Trevor Richards to extend his team's lead during their Grapefruit League clash. On a 1-0 pitch in the top of the fourth inning, Soto went yard. Yankees fans were thrown into a frenzy as they took to X to voice their opinions.

"Hal better be on the way to bank at 9am tmw," one fan wrote.

"I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Juan Soto is going to be must-see TV all season and I am going to be here for every minute of it," another wrote.

Here are a few other reactions.

Juan Soto left uneasy after first at-bat

Before clearing the fence in his second at-bat, Soto almost injured himself trying to hit a pitch toward right field. On an 0-1 count by starter Bowden Francis, the Dominican fell inside the box. He grounded out in the process and seemed to hobble his way to first base, where he was tagged out.

This left a few fans scared as they thought their star attraction for the season injured himself. But that wasn't to be the case as the slugger returned for two more plate appearances which ended up with one walk and the three-run homerun.