Juan Soto’s comeback to Yankee Stadium wearing the Mets did not go as the $765 million slugger expected. Had it not been for Soto, the Yankees may not have won the AL Pennant last year, but choosing a city-rival team over the Yankees did not sit well with the New York Yankees loyalists. And last week, when the Mets visited the Bronx for a 3-game Subway Series, Yankees fans made sure to let Soto know about his mistake. Every time the former Bomber would come on plate, the Yankees fans would welcome him with chorus of boos.

While Soto never reacted to those boos and is yet to comment on it, the Dominican outfielder quietly walked away from the Bronx simply because he was tired of questions about his ex-teammate Aaron Judge and why he chose the Mets. Per Bob Klapisch of NJ Advance Media, Soto has agreed to be miked up by ESPN during second innings. But the 26-year-old changed mind minutes before the game. The former Yankee also skipped the post-game presser while reporters kept waiting for the Mets star. Soto might have ignored reporters from asking some tough questions but one recent detail uncovers why he actually switched his base from Bronx to Queen.

Turns out, it’s actually true. Soto in pinstripes, Aaron Judge still hitting behind him, and Soto’s explosive bat in the mix. All this while, he was slammed, booed, called out for a $5 million sellout, and whatnot. What if we were to tell you that the real reason behind Soto leaving the Bronx was hiding in plain sight—and now it changes everything? Apparently, the Dominican outfielder, time and again, has been slammed with criticism for underperforming ever since donning the Mets uniform.

Despite Steve Cohen’s massive $765 million investment, Soto hasn’t been meeting expectations. For his standard, his numbers haven’t been keeping up well. Currently, his batting average sits at .241 with eight home runs, 23 RBIs, and an OPS of .792. Whispers were growing louder with each outing—what’s wrong with Soto? To your surprise, MLB insider Bob Nightengale has made a stunning revelation that might clear it up.

He noted on X, “Yankees are convinced that Juan Soto was ready to re-sign with them on Dec. 11. He asked for a bit more time, was going to discuss it with his family during lunch, and the next thing they knew, he was signing with the Mets after being persuaded by family members.”

Not easy to shake that off, right?

It cannot be the sole deciding factor, but it’s not unreasonable to come to the conclusion that the family had a strong preference for him to sign with the Mets. Soto was doing just fine with the Yankees. Now, as a Met, his performance has especially come under scrutiny.

You know how the Subway Series against the Yankees went. Even at Fenway Park, against the Red Sox, Soto failed to hustle on a hit he thought would clear the Green Monster. And then, it crashed into the wall, and he settled for a single.

The man himself opened up about this ongoing stretch of on-field slump. He summed it up, speaking to SNY, “I just call it baseball. It’s going to happen; sometimes you’re going to hit hard, and you’re going to hit right in front of people. You have to keep moving forward.” Sure, Soto will be back on track with his game.

However, this ongoing saga of the Yankees and him doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon. Not even after nearly 6 months! Through all the chaos, his teammates never fail to back him up.

Mets’ shortstop Francisco Lindor publicly stands by Juan Soto

For a while, all the headlines have been dominated by criticism about Soto and his performance as a Met. However, his teammates, manager, and owner continue to have his back, especially Francisco Lindor.

Want to know a new trending duo in the league? It’s the Dominican outfielder Juan Soto and Mets’ star shortstop Francisco Lindor. These two together are now expected to take the Mets straight to October glory. And although Soto performed well against the Dodgers, he had a lengthy slump before that. Naturally, he was slammed for his underwhelming performance.

Backing him up was Lindor, who was wearing a mic for ESPN’s broadcast. Lindor commended Soto for his effort against the Dodgers. He helped the team extend a crucial inning and delivered for the Mets’ two-run start.

“That’s a winning player right there. His ability to pay attention to details. All he cares about is winning… He comes out every day and gives everything he’s got. I’m proud of him. He’s a great teammate.” Lately, all Soto is getting is undesired attention from left, right, and center. During this tough time, it’s Lindor whose words made an impact.

In fact, on Sunday evening, the New York Mets dominated the Los Angeles Dodgers by winning the series 2-1. The opener was a rough 13-inning defeat. However, the Mets used that loss to fuel them up to take down the Dodgers in two back-to-back games. They were against the NL League leaders; it wasn’t easy. Yet, they did well. And Soto’s tie-breaking double has shut down the underperforming slams for a while.