SAN DIEGO — Juan Soto arrived at Petco Park promising to convey “good vibes” to the San Diego Padres and issuing a warning to opposing groups.

The acquisition of the 23-year-old generational expertise in maybe the largest deadline deal ever energized the Padres and their long-suffering followers, and there is extra to come back.

Soto and Josh Bell on Wednesday joined a lineup presently anchored by All-Star slugger Manny Machado. Star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. is predicted to return from a damaged left wrist inside a number of weeks.

When that lineup hits the sphere, “It is going to be actually thrilling. It is going to be actually powerful to undergo and I want good luck to different pitchers,” Soto mentioned with fun at an introductory information convention.

Just a few hours later, Soto and the remainder of the new-look Padres have been shortly residing as much as the slugger’s phrases.

Brandon Drury, who was acquired in a deadline take care of the Reds on Tuesday, hit a grand slam in his first at-bat, Soto went 1-for-Three with two walks, and Bell had two walks and two runs scored as San Diego slammed Colorado 9-1.

The sellout crowd gave Soto a standing ovation as he ran out to his place in proper discipline within the first inning, after which once more when he got here to the plate within the backside of the inning.

“It feels very cool. It brings numerous feelings for me,” Soto mentioned. “It feels superb how they cheered for me. They gave us the power to go on the market and play exhausting.”

He walked on 4 pitches in his first at-bat. Machado doubled behind him, Bell additionally walked after which Drury grew to become the fifth participant within the growth period (since 1961) to hit a grand slam in his first plate look with a crew, per the Elias Sports activities Bureau.

“I used to be simply working on adrenaline,” Drury mentioned. “The followers have been unimaginable tonight. First at-bat, bases loaded, I used to be simply working on pure adrenaline. Actually excited to be right here. It was fairly particular for me.”

All of it added as much as a profitable first evening for the Padres, who maintain the NL’s second wild-card spot whereas trailing the Los Angeles Dodgers by 11½ video games within the NL West after Wednesday’s win.

Soto, one of many recreation’s finest younger hitters, mentioned earlier than the sport he was pleased Bell was included within the commerce. The 2 have been flown to San Diego on a non-public jet Tuesday evening.

“For me, I by no means realized I used to be going to be traded collectively. I used to be pondering most likely on my own,” Soto mentioned. “After I realized I used to be coming with Josh, we’ve got an amazing relationship and I used to be extra excited and extra pumped as a result of he is coming and I do know what sort of man he’s and what he brings to the desk. I am greater than excited to share one other clubhouse with him.”

Soto contributed to the Nationals‘ first World Sequence title in 2019 after which hit .351 in 2020 to win the NL batting title. He is in his second straight All-Star season and now he and Bell have joined a crew whose playoff probabilities vaulted massive time.

Soto mentioned all of the conversations with Padres basic supervisor A.J. Preller and his new teammates have been, ”Let’s win, let’s convey the great power to the clubhouse and the stadium, simply come right here and attempt to win. Attempt to convey my expertise from 2019 as a World Sequence champ to right here in San Diego.

“That is what I’ll do, that is what I’ve in my thoughts since I noticed the commerce yesterday. That is what we will attempt to do, attempt to make all of it the way in which to the final crew standing.”

Soto thinks he is becoming a member of a World Sequence contender.

“Yeah, undoubtedly,” he mentioned. “This crew has every thing that it must win a World Sequence.”

San Diego final performed within the World Sequence in 1998, when it was swept by the New York Yankees.

Soto is below contract for 2 seasons past this yr and mentioned he is not excited about something after that.

“I am simply excited about successful,” he mentioned. “I am simply coming to this clubhouse to convey the power that I’ve, all the great vibes that I’ve to convey right here, to win.”

Soto and Bell are coming from the crew with baseball’s worst report to at least one that has vaulted its postseason probabilities.

“It feels very nice,” Soto mentioned. “It feels actually pumped to be right here. Simply go from a crew that has no probability to come back all the way in which right here, it is an amazing feeling, a brand new vibe, it is a new begin for me. It is a new begin, a brand new feeling to go on the market and provides greater than I’ve.”

Mentioned Bell: “Clearly we pour our hearts and souls into this recreation regardless of the place we’re. … Nevertheless it’s just a little bit additional gasoline within the hearth to be right here and to be within the hunt and to have a motive to indicate up just a little bit earlier day-after-day to get the work carried out that we have to get carried out. I am undoubtedly pumped to have a brand new alternative right here.”

Soto and Tatis, who’s additionally 23, have identified one another since enjoying collectively within the Dominican Prospect League.

“That is my boy, my hometown boy,” Tatis mentioned Tuesday. “I imply, we performed collectively since we have been 15, 16. And now we’re on the identical crew. It is loopy.”

Info from The Related Press was used on this report.