Juan Soto isn’t struggling in his first season with the Mets, but there’s definitely room for improvement after signing that massive $765 million contract. After 16 games, he’s hitting .250/.400/.429 with two homers and 12 walks against just eight strikeouts.
That’s 42 percent better than league average when adjusted for the ballpark.
Pretty good for most players, but not quite what fans expect from a superstar like Soto, who’s somehow still only 26 years old.
The New York Post recently asked Soto about no longer hitting in front of Aaron Judge, his former Yankees teammate and reigning AL MVP. His response was telling:
"It’s definitely different. I had the best hitter in baseball hitting behind me. I was getting more attacked and more pitches in the strike zone, less intentional walks and things like that. I was pitched differently last year."
Shortly after making these comments, Soto crushed his second homer of the season in the Mets’ 5-1 win over the Twins.
When it comes to hitting a baseball thrown by the world’s best pitchers, perception matters enormously. If Soto believes he’s being pitched differently without Judge behind him, that mental factor alone can change his approach.
The numbers actually back him up, though the differences aren’t huge:
- Pitchers are throwing in the strike zone 43.2% of the time this year, down from 46.5% last season with the Yankees
- He’s seeing slightly fewer fastballs (22.7% compared to 23.8% last year)
What’s more interesting is how Soto himself has changed. He’s swinging at pitches in the strike zone just 53.3% of the time this season, down significantly from 59% last year. For his career, he’s attacked in-zone pitches 60% of the time.
Soto’s known for his patience, but he might be crossing into being too passive at the plate.
It’s worth noting that Pete Alonso has been absolutely raking behind Soto in the lineup. The Mets first baseman is hitting an incredible .345/.464/.673 with four homers from the third spot, good for a 227 OPS+.
For comparison, Judge had a 223 OPS+ last season.
Obviously, Alonso isn’t Judge – pitchers know he’ll likely cool off soon. But he’s certainly providing plenty of "protection" in the lineup for Soto so far.
The power of perception seems to be the real issue here.
As the season progresses, expect Soto to find his groove and boost his power numbers from "very good" to the "vintage" levels Mets fans are paying for. When that happens, he’ll probably stop missing Judge’s presence in the lineup quite so much.
