Juan Soto is starting to appear right at home in New York – and he’s giving a lot of that credit to Carlos Mendoza.
On Wednesday, the Mets cruised to a 7-1 win over the Diamondbacks, owing in large part to Soto’s spectacular effort. The great outfielder smashed two solo home runs — one off starter Merrill Kelly and another off reliever Jalen Beeks – demonstrating the power that made him a $765 million superstar.
Soto talked candidly about his adjustment to the Mets and praised his new management in a post by Bob Nightengale of USA Today MLB on X (previously Twitter).
“Juan Soto, who hit two home runs today, attributes his seamless transition since joining the Mets to manager Carlos Mendoza,” Nightengale reported. “You know, I’ve been feeling really at ease. It isn’t simple at all. It will always take some time to get used to a team when you join for the first time, but Mendoza has been a huge help.
Soto’s production is at an all-time high at the time of this praise. He’s slicing now after a slow April (.232 AVG). In May, he hit four home runs while hitting 346/.500/.833 against the Diamondbacks. Particularly as Soto’s presence continues to boost a previously unreliable Mets offense, the MLB news cycle has taken note.
Soto started the scoring and set the tone for New York with a 427-foot homer in the third inning. A sacrifice fly in the ninth provided a final RBI, and his opposite-field hit later stretched the advantage to 4-0. Soto is already demonstrating why the Mets selected him as their cornerstone with seven home runs and 17 RBI this season.
In the MLB news cycle, Soto and other celebrities are always in the limelight, but the relationship with Carlos Mendoza may be the difference-maker. As seen by earlier stops throughout Mendoza’s ascent through the coaching levels, Soto appears to have been able to unwind and perform thanks to Mendoza’s composed leadership and clubhouse presence.
Mets fans could owe Mendoza much more than a tip of the cap if the early May version of Juan Soto is what they can anticipate throughout the summer.
