First Pitch: Juan Soto has earned the one thing he can't get after signing loaded Mets contract

Signing a 15-year, $765 million contract comes with certain expectations. By doing so, New York Mets fans expect Juan Soto to lead the team to multiple World Series wins. They expect Soto to win multiple MVP awards. They expect him to get enshrined in Cooperstown with a Mets cap on his plaque.

By how some Mets fans are reacting to his slow-ish start to the 2025 season, it'd be fair to assume that he has no shot of achieving any of these goals. I mean, just look at what WFAN's Sal Licata had to say about Soto after a frustrating showing on Wednesday.

To an extent, Licata's rant is justified. Soto has not gotten off to a great start. He has particularly struggled in big moments, as evidenced by his 1-for-14 mark with runners in scoring position. With that being said, though, Mets fans have to take a breath and think rationally. Juan Soto is fine, and will be a very good player in orange and blue.

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Juan Soto's slow start isn't anything we haven't seen from him before

Has Soto gotten off to the start Mets fans expected? No. He went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts in Wednesday's frustrating loss to the Minnesota Twins. He struck out in embarrassing fashion on Opening Day with the game on the line. As mentioned above, he has gone 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position.

With that being said, it's not as if hitters even as great as Soto are immune to slumps. In the 52 regular season games he played for the San Diego Padres after getting traded there from the Washington Nationals back at the 2022 trade deadline, he slashed .236/.388/.390 with six home runs and 16 RBI.

His OPS in roughly four times the sample size was 20 points lower than it is currently. Of course, Soto followed that rough patch by putting together an MVP-caliber year in 2023.

Even last season, in the middle of Soto's outstanding platform year with the New York Yankees, he slashed .190/.309/.371 with five home runs and 14 RBI in a 28-game span from August 16 through September 15. Soto's struggles down the stretch had Yankees fans wondering whether he'd be a clutch postseason performer for them or not. Obviously, Soto practically carried that team to the World Series.

It is unfortunate that Soto's slump has come at the beginning of his tenure after signing a $765 million deal? Of course. However, even the best players in the world slump. Remember Aaron Judge's .645 OPS through the first 23 games of last season? Yeah, that happened.

At the end of the day, we have to remember it has been 18 games of Soto as a Met. Every player has small slumps.

Juan Soto is far from the Mets problem right now

Soto's start has been slow, but that doesn't mean he hasn't been productive. He's gotten on base nearly 37 percent of the time. His OPS+ is 31 points above the league average. Are these Soto-esque numbers? No. Are they still quite good? Of course.

Soto's 128 WRC+ is the same as Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s. It's better than Mike Trout's, Adley Rutschman's, and Yordan Alvarez's, just to put his start to the year into perspective. What's important to note is that he's performing better than some of the game's best and isn't even swinging a good bat yet.

Despite Soto's struggles, the Mets are 11-7 on the season entering Thursday's action, good for first place in the NL East. Their pitching has stepped up in a big way, but why exactly are we ripping Soto when the team has been winning?

Even with his slump, Soto is third on the Mets in hits, home runs, and OPS while ranking second in OBP and leading the team in walks drawn. Obviously, Mets fans would love to see him lead in every statistical category, but while not performing at his best, he's been among the best hitters on the club. He has been contributing, contrary to popular belief. His ability to do so at his worst is a big reason why he signed the contract he did.

Juan Soto's eventual breakout is inevitable, and it will be glorious

A lot has gone into Soto's slow start. As much as MLB fans want to laugh at his comments, he is getting pitched to differently now being away from Aaron Judge, seeing far less pitches to hit. It's on him to adjust to that.

Additionally, Soto is still getting acclimated to his new team, and has played half of his games in brutal conditions. I mean, he was wearing hoodies in Minnesota. While these aren't excuses, they're important to point out.

For now, Mets fans simply have to be patient. I know that his record-breaking contract doesn't gift him any breaks, especially in the New York market, but patience will pay off in the long run. Once Soto makes the adjustments he needs, there's no reason to doubt he won't perform like the superstar he has always been. Once that happens, he'll transform a Mets lineup in dire need of a spark and establish the team as one of the bonafide World Series contenders.