Seaver walked over to where Mike Piazza was having a catch with Jason Phillips, the man who would replace Piazza as the Mets’ primary everyday catcher now that Piazza had started taking ground balls at first. Piazza’s face lit up. “Franchise!” he said.

Mets fans welcome Juan Soto to Citi Field for the first time in what they hope is an incredibly prosperous marriage

Good pitching doesn't always matter against a star like Soto. “That’s pretty incredible,” manager Carlos Mendoza marveled.