In December, then-free agent Juan Soto signed the largest contract in MLB — and all professional sports — history. He would be paid $765 million over the next 15 years to leave the New York Yankees and play for the New York Mets.
Now, just two months into his Mets career, Soto’s performance at the plate, and even his behavior and demeanor, has given the team cause to be worried.
The 26-year-old Soto simply does not seem like the same player that he was in five years with the Washington Nationals — where he hit 119 home runs and led the franchise to its first and only World Series championship — followed by two with the San Diego Padres and one with the Yankees.
Through 55 games played, Soto has the lowest batting average of any Mets regular starter, at .224. His OPS of .745 would be a career low, down from .989 last season with the Yankees. He has grounded into a National League-leading 10 double plays.
Perhaps even more troubling, Soto projects a deep sense of unhappiness, seemingly failing to run out ground balls and repeatedly showing a lack of hustle. Reports from team insiders have described him as “very, very glum” in the Mets clubhouse. So what is going on with suddenly very wealthy young four-time All-Star?
David Cone says he has an idea.
The legendary Mets — from 1987 to 1991 — and Yankees (1995-2000) righty pitcher believes that Soto has lost his “swagger,” and that his problems are indeed “emotional.”
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“That’s what’s going on with Juan Soto. It’s the heartbeat. It’s emotional. There’s no question about it. That’s what leads to the confidence in the batter’s box,” Cone said, speaking on the ESPN Baseball Tonight podcast Tuesday. “That’s clearly emotional. That’s the human element that’s going on with him. And I don’t know how you work through that. That’s something he’s going to have to figure out himself.”
With an off-day Thursday, the Mets wrap up a nine-game homestand over the weekend by hosting the Colorado Rockies, the team with the worst record in MLB at 9-47.
Rockies pitchers also have the second-worst road ERA in baseball at 5.14, and third-worst WHIP at 1.53. So at least in theory, Soto should have a chance to cheer himself up by feasting on Colorado pitching.
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“Bottom line is, Juan Soto’s got to feel it emotionally,” Cone said on the ESPN podcast. “And until he does, we’re not going to see the same old swagger that we’re used to seeing from him.”
According to a New York Post report by Mark W. Sanchez, a three-game “subway” series from May 16-18 when the Mets faced the Yankees in the Bronx was a particularly low point for Soto, from which he has yet to recover.
Soto had only one hit in 10 at-bats in the three games as he was relentlessly booed and jeered by the Yankee Stadium fans. In the nine games since, Soto has scraped together just four hits in 34 at bats.
The $765 million star’s lack of performance has not dragged down the Mets, however. At 34-22, the Amazin’s boast the third-best record in the NL, and sit in second place 2 1/2 games behind the league-best Philadelphia Phillies in the NL East.
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