Church Lady Interviews Juan Soto on SNL, Cracks Jokes About Mets
A Surprising Sport Segment on SNL
Dana Carvey made a triumphant return to Saturday Night Live this season, and this past weekend, he brought back his iconic “Church Lady” character to host the cold open. The sketch featured a variety of interviews, including impersonations of Hunter Biden, Matt Gaetz, and most notably, top MLB free agent Juan Soto, played by Marcello Hernandez.
Soto entered the skit around the 5:05 mark, leading to some hilarious exchanges with Carvey’s judgmental Church Lady.
Soto Talks Faith, Big Sticks, and Big Money
Hernandez, as Soto, joked about his religious upbringing. “I’m Latin, so when I was a kid, we went to church once on Christmas, once on Easter, and twice every other day” he quipped.
Later in the interview (6:15), Carvey asked Soto about his massive $700 million contract, saying mischievously, “So, I hear they’re going to pay you $700 million to smack some balls around with your big stick. We like to hit a baseball, don’t we, and make more money than Jesus? You know, money is the root of all evil.”
Hernandez responded with a laugh, telling Carvey, “Well, if that’s true, then I’m going to become the most evil baseball player in the world.”
The Mets Get a Church Lady Roast
When Carvey pressed Hernandez on which team he would choose in free agency (6:45), Hernandez joked, “I hope the Yankees make me the best offer.”
Carvey, ever the devout character, retorted, “Well, as a Christian, I have to ask you, why not spend your time and money helping the needy and the less fortunate?”
Hernandez, playing along, replied with a chuckle, “You’re right. Maybe I sign with the Mets.”
The joke landed well, lightly ribbing the Mets for their substantial payroll but lackluster performance that year. While the Mets, owned by Steve Cohen with an estimated net worth of $21.3 billion, boasted the highest 2024 payroll in MLB at $305 million (surpassing the second-place Yankees by $2 million), they finished the season with an 89-73 record and fell short of World Series aspirations.
The Mets did make it to the NLCS but ultimately lost to the eventual World Series champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers, who also defeated the Yankees and Soto in that series.
SNL Takes Notice of MLB
It was interesting to see SNL include Soto in a loaded sketch about current events and pop-culture icons. This segment was just a snippet within a longer skit, perhaps inserted because both the Yankees and Mets were key contenders to sign Soto during the offseason. Regardless, the comedic take on the MLB free agency frenzy adds to the show’s effort to engage with topical sports discussions. It will be interesting to see if SNL continues to explore baseball storylines in future seasons.
Who wrote the sketch for the Church Lady’s interview with Juan Soto?
## Church Lady’s SNL Interview with Juan Soto: A Home Run for Comedy
Interviewer: So, Marcello, we just watched you bring Juan Soto to life on SNL, cracking jokes alongside the iconic Church Lady. Describe what it felt like to step into Soto’s cleats for this unlikely interview setting.
Marcello Hernandez: It was a blast! Dana Carvey is a legend, and the Church Lady is such a unique character. To have her casually grilling a baseball player about his faith and his multi-million dollar contract was both hilarious and surreal.
Interviewer: You nailed Soto’s charm and humor, particularly his quips about his religious upbringing. Did you do any special research or work with him to capture his personality?
MH: I definitely watched a lot of Soto interviews and games to get a sense of his demeanor and how he carries himself. He seems like a genuinely nice guy with a great sense of humor, which made it easier to bring that energy to the sketch.
Interviewer: The sketch also took some playful jabs at the Mets, who lost out on Soto’s big contract. Was that a conscious decision by the writers to add some sports rivalry spice to the mix?
MH: Definitely! SNL writers are brilliant at finding those cultural touchstones and humorously weaving them into the sketches. The Mets reference probably resonated heavily with baseball fans who’ve been following Soto’s free agency saga.
Interviewer: what was the experience like being part of this callback to a classic SNL character and bringing a fresh sports angle to the show?
MH: It was an absolute honor. To be part of such an iconic show and work alongside Dana Carvey was a dream come true. Plus, blending sports and comedy, two things I’m passionate about, made it even more special. We had so much fun on set, and I think that shows in the final product.
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