LOS ANGELES -- The Juan Soto the New York Mets expected when they gave him the richest contract in sports history finally appeared in his purest form Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium by stealing the show without even putting the ball in play.

There always figured to be something of an adjustment period for Juan Soto after he signed a 15-year, $765 million deal with the New York Mets this offseason, and he suggested as much ahead of Wednesday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

When you play in New York, elevated media scrutiny comes with the territory. That's especially true for Juan Soto, who's still less than a third of the way into his first season after signing the richest contract in baseball history.