In their most important test of the season, the New York Mets are getting ready to host the Los Angeles Dodgers at Citi Field.
After signing Juan Soto, baseball’s top on-base player, over the offseason, the team has jumped to a 30–20 record. However, Soto has been uneasy following a well watched Subway Series with his old team, the New York Yankees.
“Over the last few days, Soto has absorbed criticism largely for not running out balls during Mets losses Sunday in the Bronx and Monday in Boston,” Anthony DiComo wrote for MLB.com. “Combined, the incidents served to fuel discourse that Soto has not fully adjusted to life with the Mets after joining them on a record 15-year contract over the winter.”
In response to Soto’s blatant lack of hustle and other unfavorable body language, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza stated he will speak with the player in private. Additionally, he decided to slightly lower Soto in the batting order.
But little has been accomplished by those changes. In his most recent game against the Boston Red Sox, Soto went 0–3 with three strikeouts.
The Mets will also have to deal with his historically subpar defense as they consider their long-term future with him. Fox Sports’ Deesha Thosar pointed out that Soto might soon be moved out of a defensive role, comparing his contract and future to that of Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani.
“Whereas with Soto, even though he’s four years younger than Ohtani, his long-term role with the Mets figures to be at DH, and that might happen sooner than later if his defense becomes a real problem,” she stated.
The Mets are forced to be patient with Soto because he will undoubtedly sort things out at the plate. However, considering his contract and the high expense of each at-bat, it would be wonderful to see some increased output.
His offensive output and demeanor will be much more crucial if and when he is categorized as a $765 million hitter.
