Just ask Francisco Lindor, who was once a prized signing and whose first season was filled with jeers from the Mets fans. Juan Soto is rapidly coming to the realization that playing for the New York Mets isn’t easy. On Friday night, Soto received his first round of jeers inside Citi Field after going 0-for-5 and whiffing on a chance to walk-off in the tenth inning.
Whether it is justified or not, it is the essence of being a Mets player. The jeers won’t be long behind, even if Mets supporters turn out to support Soto the way Phillies supporters did for Trea Turner. A Mets player has extremely high expectations, and there is very little room for error when you’re earning $300 million over 15 years.
Soto just needs to weather the storm. Just as Lindor was able to climb out and gain appreciation in Queens, Soto can do the same. In the early part of the season, Mets fans were patient as he adapted to his new team, but after slumps against his old team in the Subway Series and the Boston Red Sox, fans are growing impatient.
Juan Soto’s struggles have New York Mets fans growing impatient with newly acquired star
Soto hasn’t had a strong May. He’s batting .229 this month and only has 16 hits in 70 at-bats. Most players could get away with that performance; not Soto. He also hasn’t hit a home homer in two weeks after collecting five in the first nine days of the month. April wasn’t especially good to him either. Although he only had two home runs that month, he had more hits.
Fans of the Mets shouldn’t blame Soto for that. However, his lack of effort can be used against him. More than anything else, that is what has caused the jeers. Being in a slump is one thing, but pretending you don’t want to be there is quite another.
Soto took six consecutive strikes and two strikeouts in a period of play against the Red Sox a few days ago. In neither at-bat did he swing the bat once. Despite Soto’s typically superb vision, it is not what players worth $300 million do. Even in your darkest hours, you must make an effort.
Playing for the Mets is difficult, and Soto is learning this lesson the hard way. Additionally, he is learning that they will hold him responsible for his failures. As excellent players do, I have no doubt that Soto will pull himself out of this predicament.
To win over the irate Mets supporters, he will need to put in twice as much effort. After this season, he will have to endure them for another fourteen years. Every time he takes the plate, he cannot afford to be jeered and despised.
