How slow can you go? Yankees, Rays swap lengthy home run trots

In the day and age of "if you don't like it, play better," can hitters enjoy hitting home runs too much?

The Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees tried to answer that question on Monday, exchanging extended home run trots in New York's 9-1 win.

The showmanship actually began on Sunday, when Rays outfielders Randy Arozarena and Jose Siri enjoyed their trips around the bases.

But Siri and Juan Soto took things to a whole new level as the Yankees secured a series split with their AL East rivals on Monday.

Siri earned his time in the spotlight in the fifth inning after hitting a 364-foot dinger off Yankees starter Carlos Rodón for the Rays' first hit of the afternoon.

Already one of the slowest home run trotters in baseball, averaging 29.3 seconds to get around the bases — tied for the second-slowest mark — Siri took an even 30 after hitting his 14th bomb of the season, drawing boos from the crowd at Yankee Stadium.

“That's just what they do. You can't control that,” Siri told reporters after the game about the crowd reaction. “For me, it's more of a personal thing. But for them, I don't control that.”

Siri's celebration included a bat flip and a near stop at third base — something all Tampa Bay hitters do after homering.

Already down 4-0 before the homer, Siri might have enjoyed finding the bleachers in right a little more than he usually would since Monday marked his 29th birthday.

“It's a new world. I look away sometimes. That's part of it,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said before the game. “Guys are going to do what they do. It's on us, each individual, to handle themselves how you want. If somebody doesn't like it, it's on us to keep them in the ballpark.”

Soto had quite an answer in the bottom of the seventh, keeping a ball just fair to put the Yankees up 6-1 before embarking on the longest trek around the bases in all of MLB this season at 37.7 seconds.

The 424-foot homer was Soto's first of two in the game and 24th of the year.

Generally, the 25-year-old doesn't take too long getting around the bases, averaging just 26.9 seconds per home run, but Monday's blast was different for a couple of reasons.

“I was just trying to make sure it was a fair ball. I was literally pulling with everything that I have to stay fair. So definitely, it was fun to see it and definitely got the homer,” he said when asked about the lengthy trot.

The four-time All-Star would add: "Hot weather. Tough day. Tried to save the hammies and make sure I go nice and easy” as another factor.

While there was perhaps some one-upmanship going on, neither the Rays nor Yankees chose to feed into any potential beef stemming from the series.

“It's just part of the game. At the end of the day, I don't know what they're doing,” Soto said. “I don't know what they have back there. But I know from this side, we always come out and play hard every day and try to respect our teammates and the other teams, too.”