“Was pitched differently last year”- Mets’ star Juan Soto breaks his silence on slow start during 2025 MLB season

After Juan Soto took the exit door from the New York Yankees and joined hands with the Mets during the off-season, he created waves in the MLB world with his $765 million contract. After bagging the biggest deal in the history of the major league, the expectations of the Dominican star skyrocketed. During his debut game with the New York Mets, Soto witnessed a slow start in comparison to what was expected from him and was even subjected to criticism not only from MLB insiders but also from the netizens. Recently, Juan Soto broke his silence on a slow start during the 2025 MLB season.

Juan Soto opens up on his performance during the 2025 MLB season

Juan Soto’s start with the New York Mets isn’t that bad, as he not only went on to make 70 plate appearances but also secured a home run under his name against the Minnesota Twins recently. According to a recent update provided by the reputed media outlet The New York Post’s writer Mike Puma, Juan Soto had to face more difficulties during his stint with the Mets in comparison to his time with the New York Yankees along with Aaron Judge. Soto mentioned

“It’s definitely different. I had the best hitter in baseball hitting behind me. I was getting more attacked and more pitches in the strike zone, less intentional walks and things like that. I was pitched differently last year.”


MLB insider Jon Heyman even reacted to Juan Soto’s statement and even pointed out the protection provided by the Yankees captain Aaron Judge. He said-

“There’s probably some validity to what Soto told Puma about things being ’‘different’—meaning more difficult — without the great Aaron Judge’s lineup protection. But this isn’t the time for that. There may never be a good time for that. But this definitely is not it. When Soto made the comments, before finally homering in Monday’s 5-1 win in Minnesota, he was 15 games into a 15-year commitment.”

However, a few games into the 2025 MLB season cannot decide the trajectory of an athlete’s career. With the hype around Juan Soto, undoubtedly the former Yankees star is not only struggling with the expectations of his fans but also the criticism that comes along with being in the spotlight.


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