Ever since Juan Soto turned down the Yankees’ offer and jumped to their crosstown rival, he hasn’t been able to show what he is capable of. Don’t you think the $765 million Juan Soto move failed massively for the Queens? A mere .229 batting average, .355 OBP and a .755 OPS with eight home runs and 26 RBIs nowhere justify the biggest gamble of the offseason, nor the caliber that Soto has. Once considered a talent with a lot of potential, Soto has fallen into the slump that has caught the attention of many.
One of them is the New York Mets president, David Stearns, who acknowledged that the procedures Juan Soto followed aren’t the problem at all. “I think he’s taking pretty good at-bats. Controlling the strike zone pretty well. Hitting the ball on the ground a little bit more than he has in the past. That’s something he’s aware of.” However, he feels that the struggles Soto is going through are more mental than physical.
Discussing further what might be the problem, Stearns said, “Do I think he’s trying to do a little bit too much right now? Yeah, I think he’s probably trying to do a little bit too much right now. And that is natural for a player who cares about improving.” Now, recently, in an interview with SNY TV, Juan Soto opened up more about his feelings. He acknowledged his struggles; however, he felt that it’s just a matter of time for him to get better.
“I know I’ve been struggling, and I haven’t been there for them, but I will be… It’s a matter of time; we don’t know when it’s going to come through, but I’m going to keep working.” Soto remains optimistic and we all are hopeful too, aren’t we? Maybe just remain a little bit more patient, given that Soto is the one who, just a season ago, managed to post 41 home runs at a .288 average with a .988 OPS.
“I know I’ve been struggling, and I haven’t been there for them, but I will be… It’s a matter of time, we don’t know when it’s gonna come through, but I’m going to keep working”
– Juan Soto pic.twitter.com/qRik7Ef4Eo
— SNY (@SNYtv) May 31, 2025
And obviously, we had seen a little bit of his glimpses on Friday. In the 4-2 win against the Colorado Rockies, Juan Soto went 2-for-4 with an RBI double in the third inning. Juan Soto shared his thoughts following the RBI knock, saying that he thought it was even better when it came to winning the game.
Perhaps it might be the start of something good for Juan Soto. However, not to forget that Soto also acknowledged the work that he put in on the plate, focusing on the timing and making good decisions. He has been taking more pitches in the strike zone, which has somewhat helped in striking out more. While it is paying off for him, he is still a work in progress.
What’s been working for Juan Soto at the moment?
Well, if we look closely, Juan Soto’s batting stance seems to have changed a little, allowing him to be more balanced on the lower portion of his body. Alongside taking more pitches in the zone, Soto has also managed to work on his bat swing to hit better. “I’ve been working a lot on my swing to try and try to figure out the best way to come through for the team. It takes work and time. It looks a little different, but we keep working.”
In the game against the Rockies, other than the two hits, Juan Soto also managed to take a running catch, preventing the Rockies from getting extra bases. Given that he is doing great at the moment, his teammate, Francisco Lindor, who homered twice, praised Soto for taking the catch. He feels that Soto’s struggles are temporary and he will be “going to continue to climb.”
And it’s true—for a player like Soto, this cannot be a permanent problem. However, when asked about David Stearns’ statement that he might be doing a little bit “too much”, Soto disagreed with it, saying that the pressure is coming from the team itself. And why won’t it? After all, they signed him for a massive deal, so it’s obvious that they expect him to give his best. Soto not only struggled at the plate but his lack of intent was also visible, as he didn’t hustle at times, which made fans angry too.
However, as of now, things are going on the right path, as it seems. Now, we all will have to wait a little longer to see what happens and how Juan Soto emerges from the slump, proving everyone wrong who’s been criticizing him for quite some time.
The post Struggling Juan Soto Gets Candid on Hitting Slump After Mets President’s ‘Doing Too Much’ Take appeared first on EssentiallySports.