Juan Soto is quickly realizing that playing for the New York Mets isn’t easy. Just ask Francisco Lindor. He was once a prized signing and his first season was filled with boos from the Mets faithful, too. Soto got his first shower of boos inside Citi Field on Friday night after going 0-for-5 with whiffing on a chance to walk-off in the 10th inning.
That’s the nature of being a Mets player, whether it’s warranted or not. Sure, Mets fans could rally around Soto like Phillies fans did with Trea Turner, but even then, the boos won’t be too far behind. The expectations of a Mets player are sky high and when you’re collecting $300 million over 15 years, the margin for error is very slim.
In the early part of the season, Mets fans patiently let Soto get acclimated with his new team, but with slumps against his former team in the Subway Series and the Boston Red Sox, fans are growing impatient. Soto just has to weather the storm. Like Lindor was able to climb out and become appreciated in Queens, Soto can get there too.
Juan Soto’s struggles have New York Mets fans growing impatient with newly acquired star
Soto hasn’t had a strong May. He’s batting .229 this month and only has 16 hits in 70 at-bats. Most players could get away with that performance; not Soto. He also hasn’t hit a home run in two weeks after getting five in the first nine days of the month. April wasn’t particularly kind to him either. He had more hits, but just had two home runs that month.
Mets fans shouldn’t hold that against Soto. But what they can hold against him is his lack of effort. That’s what’s triggered the boos more than anything. It’s one thing to be in a hitting slump, it’s another to act like you don’t care to be there.
There was a stretch against the Red Sox a few days ago where Soto took six straight strikes and two strikeouts looking. He didn’t swing the bat once in either at-bat. That’s not what $300 million players do, even with Soto's usually excellent eye. In the lowest moments, you still have to try.
Soto’s learning the hard way, playing with the Mets isn’t easy. He’s also learning they’re going to hold him accountable during his slumps. I don’t doubt Soto will dig himself out of this hole, that’s what good players do.
But he’ll have to work twice as hard to win over the disgruntled Mets fans. He has to put up with them for another 14 years after this season. He can’t afford to be hated and booed whenever he takes the plate.