Juan Soto blasts home run off the scoreboard in his Yankees' exhibition game debut

TAMPA, Fla. — For the first time in a game, Juan Soto wore the pinstripes and heard the cheers of Yankees fans — starting the moment he appeared on the field.

And that was just during Sunday afternoon's pregame wind sprints.

As a player, “I want to see how it’s going to feel to have them … cheering me instead of booing me,’’ Soto said. “It’s been pretty good.’’

Soto gave the 9,278 fans at Steinbrenner Field something to really shout about, blasting a three-run homer off the left-center field scoreboard — a clout that impressed Aaron Judge.

"You don’t see too many lefties doing that,'' said the Yankees captain, after a 12-6 win against the Toronto Blue Jays in the Yanks' Grapefruit League home opener.

Juan Soto's presence in the new Yankees lineup

This was a day to dream on the new Yankees’ lineup, with Soto batting second and Judge at No. 3.

“I’ll probably play with it a little bit,’’ said manager Aaron Boone. “I definitely like Juan [and[ Aaron [batting] 2-3, but we’ll see how it shakes out.’’

DJ LeMahieu and Giancarlo Stanton were not in Sunday’s lineup, but the Yanks’ two-run first inning began with Alex Verdugo’s leadoff double.

Soto advanced him on a weak right-side groundout, Judge lined an RBI single, cleanup hitter Anthony Rizzo doubled and Judge scored on a Gleyber Torres groundout.

"We all felt like little kids again, doing our thing. Especially in that first inning, getting it rolling,'' said Judge, imagining this lineup, at its best, wearing down pitching.

Next time up, Soto showed his famous plate discipline, walking on a full-count pitch.

“It’s what we’ve seen for years out of him, just impressive at-bats,’’ said Judge. “Every single pitch, there was intent. He’s trying to do some damage. And if it’s not in the strike zone, he takes it pretty easy.’’

Juan Soto plants one off the scoreboard

Next, Soto put his noted power to left-center field on display.

That shot off the scoreboard, on a high, 1-0 fastball from Toronto right-hander Trevor Richards, was "fun to witness'' from Boone's chair.

"You just don’t see balls hit like that, to the biggest part of the park,'' said Boone. "He and everyone knows off the bat that’s not coming back.''

“Great to see the ball going that way,’’ said Soto, already conscious of not being seduced by Yankee Stadium’s short porch in right.

“I know when I hit the ball that way, it means a lot for me.’’

Watch: Juan Soto hits first home run with Yankees

Juan Soto's staying power in New York

Of course, the Yankees’ complete focus is on 2024, but this is Soto’s only guaranteed year in the Bronx.

Headed for a windfall in free agency, the 25-year-old Soto could see his price tag soar even higher with a big season in New York, batting in front of Judge.

“I want to make it his best year,’’ said Judge. “And if he’s feeling all right and doing his thing, that’s only going to take us one step closer to a World Series.’’

It’s the Soto-Judge dynamic that sets this team apart, and in the early going, “he’s just even better than what I expected,’’ Soto said of his new teammate.

“I know he was a great guy, but I didn’t know he was that good. In everything, he’s just thinking positive and trying to win as much as he can.’’

With his blend of patience and power, "I’ve admired his game from afar for a while,'' Judge said of Soto, who started in right field, with Judge in center and Verdugo in left, the planned Opening Day alignment.

As for the batting order's configuration, Soto seems content to check the board daily.

“Any part of this lineup you hit is going to be great,’’ said Soto. “It’s going to be fun.’’

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Juan Soto blasts home run off scoreboard in Yankees' exhibition game debut