The toughest division in baseball might be the National League East, home to three World Series contenders — the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, and Atlanta Braves — along with young, scrappy Washington Nationals and Miami Marlins teams.

With his first spring training as a member of the Mets underway, Juan Soto is liking the feeling of being under contract for so long.

Soto has been one of baseball’s elite since his rookie year in 2018 with the Washington Nationals. After a brief but high-profile stint with the Yankees, fans in the Bronx were convinced that he and Aaron Judge would form a modern-day version of the “Bash Brothers.” However, fate had other plans.