Before he was with the New York Mets, Keith Hernandez observed Juan Soto playing right field at Citi Field as a member of the 2024 New York Yankees. He questioned why, in a ballpark with a deeper alley over there as opposed to left field, would the Yankees play him there?
The June of 2024 comments didn’t dissuade the Mets from signing him in the offseason, but the Brandon Nimmo trade surely seemed to open up the possibility of a move to left field. Soto ranked as one of the worst defensive outfielders in baseball last year.