Juan Soto didn’t hold back when talking about his slow start with the New York Mets, name-dropping former teammate Aaron Judge when unloading about his struggles.
Soto only has two home runs and six RBIs thus far with the Mets. Alongside his .250 batting average, New York’s baseball fans are quick to point out Soto not living up to his lofty billing, no matter which team they have allegiances to.
Soto signed a 15-year, $765million contract with the Mets, joining from the crosstown Yankees.
‘It’s definitely different. I had the best hitter in baseball hitting [Judge] behind me last season. I was getting more attacked and more pitches in the strike zone. I was pitched different last year,’ Soto said to the New York Post.
Despite Soto’s individual performance, the Mets sit in first place in the NL East with an 11-5 record.
Baseball fans were quick to point out that the change in environment, especially a Judge-less one, was expected to be drastic.
Juan Soto didn’t hold back when talking about his slow start with the New York Mets
Soto name-dropped former teammate Aaron Judge when unloading about his struggles
‘Nothing Juan Soto said in that Post interview isn’t s*** we didn’t already know,’ one MLB fan stated. ‘Cant act like the Mets have a Judge-level hitter (although Petes been hitting like an MVP) Doesnt change the fact that he didnt pick them, and they cant change that. Let em cope.’
‘While all that is true. He’s still missing pitches that he will eventually handle. He just needs to stay true to his process,’ another baseball fan said on social media.
‘Yankees fans think Soto’s first season was with them. He played for 5 years with guys like Josh Bell hitting behind him. He will still be Juan Soto with the Mets,’ a third continued.
‘Yankee propaganda machine is relentless,’ a fourth concluded.
A collection of social-media messages about Juan Soto’s comments, name-dropping Judge
For the 2019 World Series, Soto had Howie Kendrick and Asdrubal Cabrera hitting behind him, depending on whether the Nationals had the designated hitter available by playing the Astros.
Mets star Pete Alonso has not disappointed from the batter’s box, also on a new contract.
Alonso is hitting .345 with four home runs and 19 runs batted in.
While it is fair to say no other hitter has the presence of Aaron Judge in baseball, Alonso is not as far of a drop-off as some other team’s hitters in the heart of the lineup.
