May 26, 2025

LINK TO ARTICLE: https://shuttersportsmedia.ca/newsletter/f/opinion-everyone-needs-to-relax-about-juan-soto

Since signing his $765 million contract in December 2024, Juan Soto has been no stranger to the spotlight. A free agent after the 2024 season, Soto worked for his money, batting .288/.419/.569 with the New York Yankees. His career season deemed him as the offseason’s biggest free agent, who would promise whatever team he joined a World Series Championship (or multiple). After months of bidding between teams, Steve Cohen and the New York Mets ended up winning the so-called “Soto Sweepstakes,” outbidding the Yankees by $5 million.

The 26-year-old superstar’s cross-town move only intensified the rivalry between the two New York teams, placing him under a media microscope since beginning his tenure with the Mets. Although it’s only late May, Soto is currently batting .244/.375/.432 in what many consider to be a slump. The media has a lot to say about Soto – his demeanor, his swing, his stats – pretty much anything you can see about him has been micro-analyzed by somebody online. As someone who typically thrives under pressure, it’s clear to everyone that Soto is not himself. But nobody should be worrying about him yet, and here’s why. 

Soto’s professional life has been a whirlwind throughout the last five months. At 26 years old, he has earned the largest contract in professional sports history and signed with one of his former team’s biggest rivals in a bidding war, and is now having every action watched under a microscope and nitpicked by members of the media. New York media has always been notoriously harsh, and although Soto had a year on the Yankees to adjust, I’m not sure he’s fully grasped how difficult it can be at times. 

The slugger’s time at Citi Field began with a debate about if he was worthy of such a large contract, and rumours about a secret desire to return to the Yankees. Transitioning from a serious Yankees clubhouse environment to the gimmick-happy Mets, more debates began to emerge about his overall demeanor and how he “wished he was back on the Yankees,” while just seemingly trying to get his bearings and learn the quirks of the team where he will spend the rest of his career. 

As a Major Leaguer, Soto is certainly no stranger to rumours, but it’s clear that they have started to get to him. Most frequently, the narrative being pushed is that Soto misses the storied success of the Yankees, as well as his former teammate, Aaron Judge. The two teams met in the Bronx for the first Subway Series of the season, where Soto was met with a booing standing ovation during his first plate appearance. The Mets would end up losing the series 2-1, with each game seeming as if Soto was getting more and more in his own head. For the last game of the series, on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball, Soto was slated to be mic’d up and answer questions from the booth. However, according to a report from NJ.com, Soto backed out of the interview upon realizing he would only be asked about Judge and his experience with being the “villain” of the Subway Series.

“He’d agreed to be (mic’d) up by ESPN in the second inning but changed his mind minutes before the game,” reported Bob Klapisch of NJ.com. “Soto told Mets officials he was tired of answering questions about Yankees captain Aaron Judge and sick of explaining why he chose the Mets.”

It’s completely understandable why Soto wants to stop discussing the past and instead look to the future, but the current Mets-Yankees rivalry is one of the most dramatic and entertaining storylines in the league. Although Mets fans have extremely high expectations for Soto, he still has more than 14.5 years with the franchise to silence the haters and critics for good. 

Compared to the majority of the league, Soto is also still pretty young. When he joined the Washington Nationals, many thought Soto was lying about his age because of how good he was playing. He won his first World Series Championship before he was of legal age in the United States, and has always been accustomed to success at every level. Now in new territory, Soto has to challenge himself to be as great as those who surround him. He’s a young guy, making more money than he likely knows what to do with in a new environment with half of baseball seemingly breathing down his neck. 

A similar comparison to Soto’s current situation is Francisco Lindor in 2021, when he was first traded to the Mets from the Cleveland Guardians. Before he had even played a game in a Mets uniform, Lindor signed a 10-year, $341 million contract extension, making him the highest-paid player in Mets history (until Soto came along, of course). During his first season with the Mets, Lindor batted .230/.322/.412, causing panic among Mets fans and doubts if Lindor was worth the money. The very next year, Lindor batted .270/.339/.449 and finished ninth in MVP voting. Since then, there have been talks to make Lindor the captain of the Mets, and “MVP” chants every time he steps up to the plate. After a shaky start to his Mets career, Lindor is now thriving in orange and blue— something I have no doubt Soto will come around and do as well. 

When signing a player fresh off of a career year, you expect amazing results immediately. However, achieving amazing results is difficult when you have a target on your back at all times and are expected to have a big moment in every single at bat. These growing pains may be difficult for Soto now but this is just another bump in the road that he will overcome with the help of his fellow teammates and Mets fans alike.