What Juan Soto gifted Brett Baty for jersey number in first season with Mets

When you receive a $765 million contract, you can afford to dish out lavish gifts for a jersey number. 

Juan Soto did just that. The New York Mets star outfielder gifted third baseman Brett Baty an SUV after his new teammate gave up his jersey number, No. 22, in the offseason.

“Oh, no you didn’t,” a surprised Baty said to Soto in a video of him receiving the car at the Mets’ spring training facility in Port St. Lucie, Florida, on Thursday. “No you didn’t! My guy! my guy!”

Soto embraced Baty and even put a bow on the car.

“I really appreciate the number. It’s the first number I ever wore,” Soto said, pointing to his jersey number. “I thought I’d give you something nice.”

“Well, this is definitely really nice,” Baty replied.

Baty later went into the car and asked Soto how he looked while sitting in the driver’s seat.

“It’s all you,” Soto said. “Enjoy.”

“You’re the man,” Baty told Soto. “Let’s have a great year.”

It was later revealed on Thursday that the SUV was a Chevy Tahoe. Soto said that the car set him back $93,000, but he found out that it was Baty’s dream car after doing some digging.

“For me, it was great. It was a great feeling,” Soto told reporters. “We [went through] our sources and tried to make sure it was a car he likes. He was talking to one of our guys and he was letting him know it was the car of his dreams, that he dreams of one of those cars. So I made sure he got it.”

Baty shared that he had still been driving his high school car, a 2016 Toyota 4 Runner, prior to Soto’s gift to him on Thursday. 

“It’s amazing, just for him to be able to think to do something like that, I couldn’t be more grateful,” Baty told reporters. “I’m just really excited that he’s on our team and I get to learn from him.”

As Soto told Baty, he’s worn No. 22 with the three previous teams he was a part of. He actually included it in his record-setting 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets that he had to wear No. 22.

“Twenty-two is the first number I had when I made it to the big leagues,” Soto said when he was introduced as a member of the Mets in December while wearing a gold No. 22 chain at the press conference. “It was important to me. When the Nationals gave me that number, I was really happy, really excited. That was the first number I’ve ever wore and I am more than happy to keep embracing that number.” 

As for Baty, he’ll switch to No. 7. He shared that he picked that number because grew up a fan of former Mets star José Reyes and Joe Mauer.

Baty also didn’t have any ill feelings toward Soto contractually receiving his previous jersey number. 

“I’m happy he’s the one,” Baty said. “Out of anyone in the league, like, the best hitter in the league? I’d love for him to wear that number.”

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