Juan Soto’s first two months as a New York Met have been pretty rough. From over-exaggerated media coverage to unfamiliar dips in numbers, Soto is scrambling for answers to what exactly is going wrong.
For starters, Soto has been met by the media with nothing but hostility, especially the coverage in New York. After he decided he’d rather play for the Yankees’ crosstown rival. The 26-year-old inked a 15-year, $765 million mega-deal, the biggest in sports history. Steve Cohen barely beat out an offer from Hal Steinbrenner, who sent a 16-year, $760 million deal to Soto’s team. Ultimately, Soto chose to play for the Metropolitans.
Behind Juan Soto’s Rough Start as a Met
A Dip in Numbers
Juan Soto has struggled through the first two months of the 2025 season—there’s no denying that. But at the same time, he’s still been making hard, unlucky contact. Soto is currently batting .247, while posting a .815 OPS, a number that still ranks 40th in all of baseball, even in a “struggle.”
What gives Mets fans some hope is the fact that Soto holds a .309 expected batting average, a metric that estimates the probability a batted ball will be a hit based on its exit velocity and launch angle.
Max Fried ABUSING Juan Soto.
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— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 19, 2025
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Offense hasn’t been the only struggle pointed out by critics—it’s been his fielding that’s taken center stage. Soto has never been a great fielder. He has a -31 OAA and -35 defensive run value over his career, per Statcast. Soto’s defense has drawn repeated scrutiny this season, especially on April 25, when he dropped a Dylan Crews fly ball in the 9th inning.
Plays like these have trended on social media, where the Mets have faced scrutiny for offering Soto a $765 million contract, some calling him “just a DH.” What goes unnoticed is that the right fielder has actually been statistically productive this season, yet to commit an error and holding a -4 OAA, which is right around his career average.
Media Coverage
What’s really affecting the generational talent’s play is the pressure he’s facing from the national media, who are holding him on a pedestal because of his historic contract. Anytime Soto does anything not deemed “valuable,” the media jumps on him, painting the contract as a nightmare.
The Subway Series demonstrated this perfectly. Seemingly every story from that weekend centered around Soto’s return to the Bronx, as if he truly regretted his decision to join the Mets.
The biggest story came on Sunday. Soto was slated to wear a mic for ESPN’s broadcast in the 3rd inning. Lead analyst Buster Olney planned to center all of his questions around Aaron Judge’s historical start—something Soto declined, most likely tired of the constant questions reflecting on his one-year tenure in pinstripes.
What transpired next sent the media into a frenzy, and articles began piling up about Soto “ghosting” ESPN and reporters following the game. In an article published by Bob Klapisch of New Jersey Advanced Media, an excerpt read:
“Soto’s bat seemed slow, and more surprisingly, he’s put pounds around the middle.”
Klapisch continued:
“Just as Soto turned his back on ESPN, he did the same to reporters who were waiting to speak to him in the post-game clubhouse.”
Comments about playing poorly are one thing, but Klapisch took it personally, attacking Soto for allegedly putting on weight. And this wasn’t the only instance. WFAN host Brandon Tierney stated that Soto’s contract is going to go down as a “bad one,” just two months into a 15-year deal.
The media again piled on Soto following the Mets’ 3–1 loss to the Boston Red Sox on Monday. The New York Post sports back page read “Juan Slow-Mo,” taking a dig at him for failing to exit the box after admiring a ball that just missed clearing the Green Monster.
The Last Word
While yes, Juan Soto has been disappointing in terms of his $765 million contract, he will be just fine. Adjusting to a new environment and system takes time for any player. Just look at Francisco Lindor. It took two seasons for him to catapult himself to the “captain” level that Mets fans so desperately wanted.
Pedro Martinez said it best on Tuesday, posting on X: “Nobody thinks about the human inside the uniform.”
Juan Soto: I was once the highest paid player and it took me a while to adjust. Nobody thinks about the human inside the uniform. There are things that can get you distracted. We forget how young he is. #mlbontbs
— Pedro Martinez (@45PedroMartinez) May 20, 2025
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These words perfectly capture Juan Soto’s first two months in Queens. The MLB season isn’t a sprint—it’s a marathon. With 112 games to go, Soto has time to bring back the swagger that fans have loved his entire career.
Photo Credit: © John Jones-Imagn Images
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