Mets' Juan Soto agrees with his biggest critics

New York Mets slugger Juan Soto isn't afraid to address his top detractors.

Aug 20, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; New York Mets right fielder Juan Soto (22) walks back the the dugout after striking out against the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images | Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

The New York Mets improved to 74-64 on the 2025 MLB season with their win against the Detroit Tigers on September 1. This win was exactly what the Mets needed, given that they had just lost three out of four games against the middling Miami Marlins before heading on a 10-game road trip, the first of which was against Detroit.

It was also exactly what the Mets needed out of star slugger Juan Soto, who produced arguably the best offensive game of his 2025 season to this point. Soto went 2 for 3 with a grand slam, a triple, 2 runs scored, and a whopping 6 RBIs on the game, thus accounting for the vast majority of New York's runs in a 10-8 win.

Soto is on a torrid pace right now. He's hitting .375 with a staggering 1.489 OPS, 4 home runs, and 13 RBIs in his seven most recent games and has a 1.050 OPS, 11 home runs, and 28 RBIs in his past 30 contests.

Sep 1, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; New York Mets right fielder Juan Soto (22) celebrates after hitting a grand slam home run against the Detroit Tigers in the fourth inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

This recent string of success has made many forget the slow offensive start to Soto's 2025 season, when many critics were questioning why the Mets had given him the richest contract in sports history.

Juan Soto Makes Telling Admission About Criticism He Has Faced

One thing the Mets didn't have to question when coming to terms with Soto on his 15-year, $765 million contract is his ability to handle the bright lights of playing in New York. This is because Soto spent a season with the cross-town rival Yankees in 2024 and produced at an MVP-caliber level, including him carrying the Yankees through the playoffs while AL MVP Aaron Judge was slumping.

In other words, Soto has no trouble facing music from the notoriously unforgiving and aggressive New York sports media sphere.

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In fact, he seems to welcome any criticism they have of him, which was conveyed in a quote Jon Heyman shared in a September 1 article from the New York Post.

In the article, Soto is quoted as saying that he agrees with critics who have wondered whether he has done enough to live up to the contract he was given. While he made it clear that he's not playing badly, he also believes that he can be doing more for his team.

https://t.co/NX1KDnpb67 Mets have been mostly bad for weeks but since they play to the level of the competition here’s how they can survive the NL postseason gauntlet . 4 keys.

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) September 1, 2025

If Soto can continue this hot streak through September and carry the Mets deep into the postseason like he did with the Yankees one season ago, both he and his critics won't have much to work with.