In a press conference following the New York Mets’ recent 3-1 defeat to the Boston Red Sox, manager Carlos Mendoza made it clear that the issue of hustle from superstar Juan Soto is on his radar. The discussion stems from an incident in the sixth inning, where Soto sent a 102 mph line drive soaring towards Fenway Park’s iconic Green Monster. Instead of sprinting out of the batter’s box, the slugger stood watching as the ball struck the wall at about two-thirds of its height, limiting him to a single instead of what could have been a home run.
Mendoza acknowledged Soto’s misconception in this specific scenario and indicated that they would need to address the importance of running hard out of the box, especially in a ballpark known for its quirks. “He thought he had it,” Mendoza explained to reporters. “But with the wind and all that, and in this ballpark – anywhere, but in particular in this one, with that wall right there – you’ve got to get out of the box. So, yeah, we’ll discuss that.”
Soto did steal second base on the next pitch, demonstrating his speed and base-running capability. However, he wound up stranded on third, and when asked about his effort, he defended his approach: “I think I’ve been hustling pretty hard. If you see it today, you can tell.”
This conversation about effort isn’t new for Soto, as sections of the Mets fanbase voiced their frustration following a similar instance during their 8-2 loss to the Yankees the day prior. On that occasion, Soto hit a ground ball up the middle but was slow out of the box, resulting in an easy out at first base by DJ LeMahieu, perhaps leaving fans wondering what might have been had he taken off with intention.
As Mendoza noted, it’s not unusual for balls that hit off the Green Monster to land as singles, as evidenced by Pete Alonso being thrown out trying to stretch a hit into a double earlier in that same game. Yet, the growing concern about Soto’s hustle comes at a time when he finds himself in a bit of a slump. Since signing a groundbreaking 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets, his performance has been a mixed bag, posting a slash line of .246/.376/.439, which sits below his career averages of .283/.419/.528. Still, when it comes to OPS, Soto’s .815 is impressive, ranking second among qualified Mets and 47th in all of Major League Baseball.
Despite these ups and downs, Mendoza’s Mets, now sitting at 29-19, are tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the second-best record in the league. As the season progresses, all eyes will be on Soto and whether he can meld his undeniable talent with the hustle and intensity that the Mets organization is looking for.
