In Port St. Lucie, there hasn't been such a high-profile scene for at least a decade – perhaps longer. When Juan Soto stepped out of his car and stepped into the Mets' Clover Park training base on Sunday morning, a photographer who had been hunched at 6:30 a.m. was the first to catch him. Then, as Soto walked out of the locker room and headed to the training ground, dozens of media reporters, photographers and team staff followed. Representatives of their brokerage companies are on hand throughout the day. Even as he warmed up, hundreds of fans huddled outside the barbed wire fence to watch.

"Welcome to the team! One fan shouted, "Take us to the championship!" "

At the moment, Soto's 15-year contract with the team has just begun, and all the glory is yet to be written. Boss Steve Cohen gave him a blueprint for "multiple World Series wins during his tenure" during signing talks, but the early years of spring training were all about getting involved with the team, building chemistry – and, of course, making a stunning first impression.

"There's a noticeable explosion in the number of shots," lamented head coach Carlos Mendoza, "and you can feel that aura when he walks to the basket." And when he stepped into the strike zone with his teammates...... Everyone looked sideways. It was as if to say, 'Okay, he's coming.'" ’"

The crowd that followed Soto in the morning eventually poured into the course to witness his first public striking practice. A shot that hit the ball high in the field was set on fire, and then he blasted the ball off the wall, but he was still unhappy with the details of the swing. "He's a monster," strikes coach Jeremy Barnes said bluntly.

Looking back in recent years, the Met has rarely had such a shocking "welcome ceremony". In 2021, Francisco Lindor's franchise was deserted due to pandemic restrictions; Yoenis Céspedes' sports cars and horses were a topic of conversation, but he was no longer a new signing. Perhaps only Johan Santana parachuted in as a "savior" in 2008. Similar to his previous year, Soto joined a team that was aiming for a title – the Mets, who were just two wins away from winning the Nations League title last season, was only strengthened by his arrival.

But history still warns: the hustle and bustle of February may not deliver on the glory of October. That's why Soto repeatedly brought the focus back to reality during the 20-minute press conference: "I don't need to be a savior," he said, looking at his All-Star teammates in the locker room, "I just want to stay true and continue to be like this year after year." "

This "true color" is legendary enough. The 26-year-old Soto is second only to Mickey Mantle and Jimmie Foxx in career base play, and is the youngest member of the active "200 hits + 500 RBIs + 700 RBIs" club (more than 6 years ahead of the second place). "He's unique," Barnes stressed, "and how would he deserve that contract if he wasn't?" "

The $765 million epic contract even surpassed Shohei Ohtani's $700 million (which was significantly reduced in value due to the huge deferred payment). Two years ago, Dodge made a big bet on Ohtani to transform the powerhouse into a "spaceship", and now Soto has a similar mission. If he succeeds, the crowd will see the superstar forge a new legend in a foreign land.

"It's incredibly reassuring to be here for the next 15 years, and it's even more exciting to be with this group of friends," Soto smiled, "and all I hear about them is compliments." Let's wait and see. "