Media’s Over-the-Top Reaction to Juan Soto’s Opening Day Strikeout Has Yankees Fans Smirking as Mets Face Harsh Spotlight
A year ago, Juan Soto was the hero in pinstripes, making an immediate impact for the Yankees as they opened their 2024 season in Houston with a dominant four-game sweep over the Astros. In a defining moment, Soto delivered a clutch ninth-inning single off closer Josh Hader to drive in the game-winning run. Moments later, he gunned down the game-tying run at the plate, securing a victory that had Yankees fans buzzing.
Fast forward to 2025, and Soto once again found himself in Houston on Opening Day—this time wearing Mets blue and orange. But unlike last year, he didn’t play the hero. Instead, Soto struck out against Hader to end the game, sealing the Mets’ 3-1 loss. Almost instantly, social media erupted with exaggerated takes, with posts mocking his $765 million contract and questioning whether he was worth the investment.
However, it wasn’t just faceless trolls behind their keyboards fueling the hysteria—mainstream sports media jumped on the narrative. WFAN’s Boomer Esiason led the charge, claiming that Soto is “not a needle mover” and that the Mets “way overpaid” for his services. Other shows, including the Brandon Tierney and Sal Licata program, also debated the topic, though with a more level-headed approach, acknowledging how absurd it was to criticize one of baseball’s best players after just a single game.
For Yankees fans, this type of overreaction is nothing new. They witnessed a similar media frenzy in 2024 when Aaron Judge had a slow start in April, leading to speculation that the Yankees were hiding an injury and that Soto’s one-year stint in New York would be a disappointment. It’s simply the nature of the 24/7 sports media cycle, where sky-high expectations can quickly turn into exaggerated criticisms.
Ironically, instead of obsessing over Soto’s strikeout, a more relevant discussion could have been about the Mets’ pitching decisions—especially Clay Holmes’ debut in a new role. But that’s not how the New York sports scene operates. Mets fans may have “stolen” Soto from the Yankees in free agency, but with that comes the relentless scrutiny of being the sport’s highest-paid player in the biggest media market.
For now, the overreaction will continue, but as soon as Soto starts launching home runs, the narrative will shift—just like it always does in New York.
