When New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto said that things are “different” in Queens compared to the Bronx although he had baseball’s top hitter, Aaron Judge, batting behind him, Michael Kay, a commentator for the New York Yankees and presenter of an ESPN talk program, was not pleased.
Kay stated on ESPN Radio that “you could have had Aaron Judge hitting behind you for the next seven years of your career.” “You choose to disregard that. Now, as a Mets supporter, I find it annoying that you appear to have a wanderlust for a guy you broke up with, but it also feels like a backhanded jab at Pete Alonso.
To a certain extent, Kay was correct. Was Soto right to be so forthright? Most likely not. But was what Soto stated incorrect? Not at all. Despite his greatness, Pete Alonso is not Aaron Judge. Aaron Judge is not anybody. Obviously, things will be different without Judge at his side.
“I would tell Juan to shut up,” Kay advised. “Walk this back. Judge is fantastic, as everyone knows, but you abandoned him. It looks bad. As an unbiased spectator, that is all I have to say. It looks bad. Because you have everything you could ever want. And because you were tempted by a bright new item, you left a setting that was ideal for you.
Kay repeatedly questioned Soto’s commitment to Judge and his new team, the Mets. Since Kay began speaking, Soto has begun to demonstrate why the Mets awarded him that historic contract.
Juan Soto is starting to show why the Mets gave him the money they did
Soto has played like the superstar he always has in his last 19 games, which date back to April 18, a few days after Kay’s tirade. During that time, his average of.300 is 16 points higher than his career average of.284. His lifetime OPS of.948 is two points below his current score of.950. The Mets were expecting this player.
Did Soto’s search take longer than Mets supporters would have preferred? Yes, but he was being sold to in a different way, as Soto mentioned. Compared to batting in front of Judge, he was not seeing nearly as many pitches to hit.
I mean, this swing really reminded me of the Juan Soto of old, and now that he knows how he will be pitched, the results have begun to come in.
Soto might not have Judge behind him anymore, but he looks to be quite fine. He’s on a team that currently has the second-best record in the majors right now, and his numbers are perking up. If Kay is who woke Soto up, Mets fans can only say thank you.
