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The New York Yankees offered Juan Soto $760 million to stay. It was the kind of money that’s supposed to lock in generational greatness—the kind reserved for names like Judge or Ohtani. But Soto walked. And not just anywhere, he walked across the river, into the Mets’ clubhouse. Just months earlier, he had been the Bronx’s postseason heartbeat. In one unforgettable October game, with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, Soto rocketed a 98 mph fastball from Cleveland’s closer straight into Monument Park. Yankees fans roared like it was 2009 again. Soto rounded the bases grinning, half-hero, half-heir. This, they thought, was the future.

But that October heat has gone cold. Now a Met with a jaw-dropping 15-year, $765 million contract, Soto is batting just .233 through the first third of the 2025 season. His OPS (.770) and OBP (.357) are decent by league standards, but not for someone who was supposed to be the face of the franchise. His power’s dulled, his timing off. He’s rolled into more groundouts than expected and struggles against high-velocity fastballs (.167 against 95+ mph). Fans are restless. The Mets’ clubhouse, once buzzing with anticipation, has gone quiet.

So what happened? Why does one of the game’s most gifted hitters suddenly look human? Mets President of Baseball Operations David Stearns addressed Juan Soto’s underwhelming start with the team, citing that Soto is likely “trying to do too much” under the weight of expectations. Fingers are pointed to the pressure of that historic contract, others say it’s the absence of a Judge-like presence to deflect the spotlight. But increasingly, the whispers are about Soto’s headspace. As the Mets look for answers, another Yankees legend, Derek Jeter, offered his own take.

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In an interview with FOX Sports, when asked about how concerning Juan Soto’s slow start might be for the Mets, Alex Rodriguez said, “Let’s remember in 2022, he hit 27 home runs and 62 RBIs. So he’s in there. And he made the same mistake then that he’s making now. To your point, he’s rolling over. He’s becoming almost a circular door. And when he’s at his best, he’s hitting home runs to the left center field like a powerful right-handed hitter.

Well, if you remember, he batted at an average of .242 with 127 hits in 2022, 62 RBIs, and 93 runs scored across the 153 games he played. Now, after struggling earlier this season, Soto finally managed to hit a home run that rose to 404 feet and moved towards center field. And guess what? Rodriguez feels that as he is hitting to center field, he is moving in the right direction and may soon prove everyone wrong by hitting it big and posting more home runs, too.

Now agreeing with what A-Rod said, Derek Jeter shares his feelings on Soto’s exit. “Yeah, I tell you all the Mets fans are very concerned right now because this is the guy, the big acquisition, who is single-handedly going to take you to the World Series and help you win a World Series Championship. You stole him from the Yankees, right?” And well, it’s true. Despite the Yankees offering Soto a massive $760 million deal, he signed with the Mets. And that’s why huge expectations are evident.

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Now that Juan Soto has signed a fifteen-year contract with the Mets, it’s quite evident that he will be staying for a long time. In fact, Jeter believes that when his oldest kids will be finishing their college, Soto will still be playing for the Mets. However, Jeter is optimistic that he will bounce back, given the potential he has. But is he as good as Ohtani and Judge?

Well, according to Alex Rodriguez, there’s actually no comparison of Juan Soto with Ohtani and Aaron Judge. “Ohtani is a global star, Aaron Judge is a domestic star, and Juan Soto is a baseball player.” Since the Dodgers and Yankees have already received what they anticipated in return, Rodriguez thought Ohtani and Judge didn’t need to get hit to prove themselves.

In addition, Alex Rodriguez disclosed that Juan Soto is currently without Aaron Judge and lacks the business that will sustain him throughout. The environment is different, and also the players. So, it’s quite evident for him to feel the pressure, and probably, it won’t go away soon. However, the good news is that Juan Soto has finally homered against the Colorado Rockies.

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Juan Soto seems to be getting back into the groove

Amid mounting calls for Juan Soto’s firing from the fans and criticism from MLB greats, Juan Soto finally sees some light. After going through early-season struggles, Soto has finally managed to post a home run in the fourth inning of the Mets’ 8-2 win against the Colorado Rockies.

It was even more special for him, as well as the New York Mets, considering that it was his first home run since the last one he hit on May 9. The ball exited the bat at 109.5 mph, moving out towards right field. And as expected, the Mets’ clubhouse was all praise for him, delivering a strong message to the other teams.

In the post-game interview, manager Carlos Mendoza said, “He put a really good swing on it. For him to hit it out of the ballpark like that on a day that the conditions are not in his favor, that’s pretty impressive.” And the manager has got a point. Despite the strong winds blowing from the right side of the field, Soto’s massive hit was enough to propel the Mets towards the win.

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With the season progressing and little scope for errors, we all hope that Jun Soto finds his rhythm and continues to hit more home runs, just the way he did today. What are your thoughts on Juan Soto’s home run against the Rockies?

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Can Juan Soto ever match the star power of Ohtani and Judge, or is he just overhyped?

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