The 2025 MLB season has taken shape with more than two months having passed since it began. Teams have found their rhythm to stay at the top of their divisions, such as the New York Mets, who have had the honor of having the best record of the campaign. However, there are some sports analysts who, despite the good form of the Mets, believe that there are players who are below expectations
For journalist Mike Petriello, he raised questions about Mets outfielder Juan Soto, who in his view, has not lived up to and so far far from expectations after raising the demands of his performance according to his million-dollar transfer, at least statistically. Since signing the richest contract ever awarded to a sportsman, for $765 million, Soto has struggled to adapt to life in Queens.
In May, it was a month of soft, passive hitting for Juan Soto
With a 53.2% effectiveness in his hitting, critics turned their attention to the Dominican. “Juan Soto was being too passive in the strike zone. His hitting has been very soft in May. We all know he has an elite hitter’s eye, but his hitting just over 50% left us amazed. There’s a difference between being patient and suddenly hitting balls out of the strike zone. He was unrecognizable last month,” said Mike Petriello.
However, there is a light of optimism in June, where his bat has awakened to collaborate with the team to be in the best position in the league. The team under the orders of Carlos Mendoza has acquired a better performance with Soto responding at the right time of the game. If this trend does not change, the New York Mets will reach the All-Star Game as a real threat to the rest of their rivals.
New York Mets swept by Kansas City Royals
Citi Field in Queens had one of its worst weekends where the New York Mets suffered three consecutive losses to the Kansas City Royals 7-5, 8-4 and 9-0. It was those moments when the Dominican shone by his absence and his batting returned to be as passive as last month, where in 12 at-bats he only got one hit and was struck out five times.
After this poor performance, the Mets will now have to go on a double road trip during the week to face the Atlanta Braves and then travel to Philadelphia. These will undoubtedly be very difficult games that will test the Mets’ manager and the moment of truth to determine if Soto is up to the task and his more than $700 million contract.
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