Longtime Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay encourages fans to boo Juan Soto during return to Bronx

Juan Soto only spent just one season in New York Yankees pinstripes After helping the Yankees advance to the World Series Soto switched New York City boroughs and signed a historic contract with the Mets The Mets open a three-game series with the Yankees on Friday night The latest edition of the Subway Series will also mark Soto's first time competing at Yankee Stadium since he hung up his pinstripes Much of the chatter leading up to the series has centered around the reception Soto will receive from the Yankees faithful CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS COMLongtime play-by-play announcer and radio host Michael Kay weighed in on the discussion While Kay discouraged fans from engaging in vulgar chants he encouraged them to boo the former Yankees slugger I m anticipating the reaction that Juan Soto is gonna get at Yankees stadium Kay reported And I think the reaction if I m a Yankee fan would be constant booing of Juan Soto Now nothing profane It shouldn t be that You should be ashamed of yourself if you say anything like that METS' JUAN SOTO LOOKS FORWARD TO SUBWAY SERIES AGAINST FORMER ORGANIZATION DESPITE PROSPECTIVE YANKEES FANS' BOOSKay doubled down on his anti-profanity stance and advised Yankees fans to be a little more clever Don t be classless with the bleep Juan Soto Kay added Be a little more clever than that You can boo without using the f-word There are gonna be kids in the crowd But make him feel how hurt you feel Nothing wrong with it Don t let anybody guilt you into that I ve heard people say show him that you re better than that No you re not better than that You re fans While Soto acknowledged the possibility specific fans could direct boos at him it doesn't appear the likely angst is dampening the slugger's excitement about returning to Yankee Stadium Nevertheless Kay suggested plenty of Yankees fans felt a sense of betrayal when Soto bolted for the team's crosstown rival They feel betrayed they feel like jilted lovers Kay noted If you feel like you re betrayed then boo him Boo him every time he s near the ball Boo him every time there s a fly ball Boo him every time he comes up to the plate Boo him I don't mind Soto stated The Athletic in reference to the doable jeers Prior to the start of the regular season Soto admitted he was expecting the worst from the Yankees faithful when he did eventually visit the Bronx Soto finished his lone season with the Yankees with home runs and a batting average The right fielder has hit eight homers in games so far this season with the Mets Follow Fox News Digital s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter