Juan Soto’s Padres Debut In San Diego A Rollicking Success

It started with a rousing ovation from a sellout crowd, and finished with a grand slam by his new teammate Brandon Drury in a 9-1 win. All in all, Juan Soto's debut with the San Diego Padres couldn't have gone much better. 

Soto did his thing, getting on base three times, with a hit and two walks, scoring a run, and overall just having a great time in his new threads. 

“It feels very cool. It brings a lot of emotions for me,” said Soto, the 23-year-old generational talent. “It feels amazing how they cheered for me. It was amazing! They gave us the energy to go out there and play hard.

"Anytime you see me play, you're gonna see a show."

“Before we even took the field it was (pretty cool),” Padres manager Bob Melvin said. “It seemed like the place was packed even before the game started. It was rare.”

Soto's former Nationals teammate who came with him in the trade, Josh Bell, also walked twice and scored a pair of runs. 

And with Fernando Tatis Jr. ever-closer to his return, things are definitely looking up in San Diego.