Soto finished his first Mets game 1-for-3 with two walks. The ninth inning strikeout was far from what him and the team hoped after he was signed to a record $765 million deal in free agency this offseason, but he should have plenty of other opportunities this season to come up clutch in the final inning.

Juan Soto had a chance to deliver tying runs in his much-anticipated Mets debut on Thursday, but he struck out swinging with two outs in the ninth inning to end the Astros' 3-1 win.

The anticipation surrounding Juan Soto's debut with the New York Mets reached a fever pitch during the season opener against the Houston Astros. As Soto stepped up to the plate, the crowd's response echoed the expectations of a $765 million man ready to prove his worth.