Juan Soto has torched the Chicago White Sox whenever he’s faced them throughout his MLB career. You wouldn’t tell, though, as the New York Mets take on one of baseball’s worst teams this season. Soto is 0-for-6 in the series in the first two games and adding another reason for Mets fans to shower him with boos in Citi Field.
In 16 games against the White Sox entering the series this week, Soto hit .415 with seven home runs and 12 RBI. He had just four games without a hit in his first 16 games. He has two hitless games in his first two appearances with the Mets.
Hopefully, it’s more of an anomaly rather than a pattern for Soto, who’s been struggling at the plate. But it’s not a good sign at all if he can’t rake against a team he’s used as batting practice more than anything.
Juan Soto’s slump continues as White Sox series brings Mets’ slugger to new low
This series against the White Sox was supposed to be a confidence boost for Soto. Instead, it has highlighted a larger issue with Soto as he’s struggling to have the massive impact the Mets paid him to have. Since his lavish arrival to Queens, all eyes have been on Soto and what he’ll do with the Mets.
He has failed quite a few tests since making his Mets debut. First it was against the Boston Red Sox and not providing the clutch hit the Mets needed to win. Then Soto’s effort was called into question, and now he is struggling against a bottom-feeder in MLB. There's a bigger issue going on here.
If Soto is struggling against a team he usually hits really well against, it makes you wonder what exactly is going on? And wonder what it will take to pull him out of this slump. Soto deserves some patience.
Playing with the Mets is not easy. The pressure to be elite every day is unnerving. Maybe the pressure is starting to get to Soto and he’s realizing what it takes to thrive on a long term deal. If that is the case, he better figure out how to manage.
The Mets are paying him a pretty penny to figure that out. They certaining aren’t cutting millions of dollars worth of checks for him to struggle against the lowly White Sox.