Three weeks into the 2025 season, Juan Soto’s first impression with the Mets has been… underwhelming. And across town in the Bronx, Yankees fans are feeling pretty good about letting him walk.
In 2024, Soto was a force in pinstripes—batting .324 with a .500 slugging percentage and a .947 OPS. He meshed well with Aaron Judge in the lineup and gave Yankee Stadium plenty to cheer about. But now, with Soto wearing orange and blue, the honeymoon phase in Queens is already over.
Mets fans—and especially the media—have been quick to turn up the pressure. Soto is batting just .231 with a .798 OPS, and New York sports radio has wasted no time going nuclear. WFAN’s Sal Licata delivered a scathing on-air rant after Soto went 0-for-5, and while it’s likely more for ratings than reality, it shows how fast things can spiral in this city.
It’s worth remembering that Soto chose this. He inked a historic 15-year, $765 million deal to stay in New York—but with the other team. That kind of payday doesn’t just come with expectations, it comes with the full weight of one of the most brutal media environments in sports.
Even Soto admits the transition hasn’t been smooth. “I had the best hitter in baseball hitting behind me,” he said of his Yankees days in a recent New York Post interview. “I was getting more attacked and more pitches in the strike zone… I was pitched differently last year.”
He’s not wrong. Playing in front of Aaron Judge is a luxury. Playing for the Yankees is a platform. And while the Mets made it to the NLCS last season, they still don’t carry the tradition, spotlight, or swagger of the Yankees. That makes a difference, especially when things go south.
For Yankees fans, Soto’s early struggles are a reminder that Brian Cashman may have made the right call in not backing up the Brinks truck. The Yankees reloaded in other ways, and Soto’s departure hasn’t slowed them down so far.
As for Soto? He has the talent to turn it around. But in New York—especially in Queens—he’s quickly learning that a big contract and a slow start don’t mix.
