The new kid in town, Juan Soto, has worn No. 22 since his MLB debut with the Washington Nationals in 2018, and despite signing a historic $765 million deal with the New York Mets, there was one small hurdle—Brett Baty already had the number.
Christmas came early in Port St. Lucie!
Juan Soto gifted Brett Baty a new car for letting him wear #22 pic.twitter.com/bHLNNFinZQ
— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) February 20, 2025
Rather than force the issue, Soto and Baty had a conversation in January, and the 25-year-old third baseman agreed to give up the jersey number he had worn since his MLB debut in 2022. But Soto made sure Baty was well compensated for the gesture.
On Thursday, outside the Mets’ spring training facility in Port St. Lucie, Florida, Soto surprised Baty with a brand-new Chevrolet Tahoe, a vehicle valued at $92,000.
Baty admitted that he had been driving the same 2016 Toyota 4Runner since high school, a car with roughly 150,000 miles on it. His teammate Mark Vientos had often teased him about upgrading, and Mets traveling secretary Edgar Suero had subtly asked about his car insurance information earlier in the week, tipping Baty off that something might be in the works.
Juan Soto with an extremely thoughtful gesture to his new Mets teammate
Soto went the extra mile to ensure Baty received the “car of his dreams.”
“For me, it’s not about the car or anything,” Soto said. “It’s something that is going to make him happy. And whenever he sees it, he’ll tell himself that it was worth giving up No. 22.”
Brett Baty reveals he’s been driving the same car he drove in high school for his whole career before Soto’s gift:
“Every Spring Training I come in saying ‘I’m gonna get a new car, I’m gonna get a new car’… I didn’t expect that, that was amazing.” pic.twitter.com/40bf36YE2c
— SNY (@SNYtv) February 20, 2025
Soto also acknowledged that not all players would be willing to give up a jersey number, which made Baty’s willingness to do so even more meaningful.
“Some guys don’t like to give away their numbers,” Soto added. “But he actually had no excuses or anything—he just gave it away for me. I’m just thankful for that.”
While Baty happily accepted the SUV, he also revealed that his new jersey number—No. 7—holds special significance. He chose it to honor José Reyes and Joe Mauer, two players he admired while growing up.
“It’s amazing, just for [Soto] to be able to think to do something like that. I couldn’t be more grateful,” Baty said. “I’m just really excited that he’s on our team and that I get to learn from him—one of the best hitters in the game.”
Soto’s gift continues a growing trend of players exchanging luxury items for jersey numbers. Last year, Shohei Ohtani gifted former Dodgers pitcher Joe Kelly a Porsche after taking No. 17. Similarly, Francisco Lindor gave teammate Jeff McNeil a Ford Bronco after McNeil won the 2022 National League batting title. Now, Baty will take the field in No. 7, while Soto continues his career in No. 22, all while driving in style thanks to his new superstar teammate.
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