Just when you think you know all about Juan Soto, you realize that you’ve barely managed to scratch the surface. The Dominican Republic native is a fun and outgoing character, particularly in his hometown. Coddled with the bonds of family and friends, the 25-year-old is a champion in another sport too. Something that might be hard to guess.

Well, though Soto’s head is in New York, his heart is and always has been in Santo Domingo, the Caribbean island capital. As the middle child of Juan Soto Sr. and Belkis Pacheco, Juan Soto has spent many days at get-togethers. The highlight of these gatherings would be “playing dominoes.”

Juan Soto is Dominoes king: A look into New Yankees’ favorite rainy day activity

Back in 2020, the Washington Post covered a story where the young star shared, “Some of my favorite memories from my childhood come from learning how to play and practicing with my family.” That’s practicing more than just baseball. In DR, says Soto, playing Dominoes is a very common activity. His surprising revelations were a breath of fresh air.

Upon being asked what his favorite rainy-day activity was, he gave a smile-inducing answer. He shared, “Getting together with close friends or family to cook, eat, catch up, and, of course, play dominoes. When you’re in the DR, you’ll find people playing dominoes everywhere: outside their homes, in their neighborhoods, on street  corners.” Little did anyone know the importance of Dominoes in his life.

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He further shared that he loves to go to the spa on his off days. He revealed that his go-to spa in Punta Cana was the Secrets Cap Cana Resort and Spa. While the spa treatments are great, they’re not as mesmerizing as the story of how Soto developed an interest in the game of Dominoes.

How did Juan Soto fall in love with Dominoes?

The indulgence of MLB in the family board game is more prevalent than expected. Juan Soto has grown up playing the game with family and friends since his childhood. Good for him; major league teams have started developing a keen interest in the game too. StarTribune mentioned in 2018 that “from small beginnings among a few guys to now an all-in tournament involving players and coaches, dominoes have captivated the Twins’ entire clubhouse.“

The Minnesota Twins clubhouse has often gathered for one cause: ‘Everybody can play dominoes’. It turns out that Dominoes, which is a relatively simple game dating back to ancient China, became the passion of the Twins’ clubhouse. Eduardo Escobar summed it up well: “It’s really good. Some guys don’t like cards, but everybody can play dominoes.” So much so that it frequently drew the attention of teammates to be the audience for the action-packed play. There’s yet another team that indulges in a good game of Dominoes often.

MLB recently posted a video on their official YouTube channel titled, “Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month by playing dominoes with the Marlins!” The video encapsulates the enthusiasm and reflects the commonality of the game among folks, particularly from the Dominican Republic.

A part of Dominican history: Another reason that put this game close to Soto’s heart

By now, it is established that during a typical early afternoon, Dominicans wouldn’t love anything more than to sit around a table with peers, playing Dominoes. The game of Dominoes is deeply rooted in Dominican culture. In a family home, often there will be a designated table that has a ridge on each side for players to place and arrange their tiles.

These games are usually played during the hot hours of the day to pass the time. And since the game is played outdoors, it makes for a great public show for family and friends. May one call Dominoes a “national pastime” in the DR?

Watch this story: 25-Year-Old Juan Soto’s Debut Video Resurfaced, Justifying His Ongoing Demands Among The MLB Giants.

It must be so since the game is such an integral part of the DR culture. Soto, who is deeply cultural too, finds it close to his heart. But what’s surprising is that there are not only a handful of players from the MLB who are interested in this game. Soto, the new Yankee, has competitors outside his league!

Are there more MLB players who love this game? Know the competitors of Juan Soto

A notable moment from late September last year comes to mind, speaking of Dominoes. NBA superstar Jimmy Butler shared the highlights of his visit to London on his social media. What stood out for him on his trip was the game of dominoes with “The Brixton Immortals Domino Club.” That was a special touch indeed.

He was graceful and generous in his appreciation and specifically mentioned the Brixton Immortals Domino group. His Instagram post captured the words, “London was incredible to me as always. But being around my people whooping their tail in dominoes made it even more special! @brixtonimmortalsdomino forever grateful for you welcoming a stranger to be apart of the family for a couple of days! Y’all know I’m now just a phone call away.”

MLB Contracts: Insider Predicts Record-Breaking Juan Soto Contract Surpassing Shohei Ohtani’s $700M

It looks like Soto has a competitor. What an amazing crossover it would be where two celebrated names from the international stages of the MLB and NBA come together to play a game of Dominoes. That would be something, isn’t it?