Inside The Mets

Mets legend gets honest about Juan Soto's 'emotional' hitting woes

A New York Mets icon didn't mince words about Juan Soto's ongoing struggles at the plate.
Grant Young|
May 28, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Mets right fielder Juan Soto (22) reacts after striking out during the game against the Chicago White Sox at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Boland-Imagn Images
May 28, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Mets right fielder Juan Soto (22) reacts after striking out during the game against the Chicago White Sox at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Boland-Imagn Images | Lucas Boland-Imagn Images

In this story:

New York MetsChicago White Sox

New York Mets slugger Juan Soto didn't record a hit during his team's recent three-game series against the Chicago White Sox. Instead, he went 0 for 12 with 3 strikeouts, thus dropping his average to .130 with a .427 OPS in his last 15 games. In the 2025 season, Soto is hitting .224 with a .745 OPS.

This is not what Mets fans were expecting when their front office signed Soto to a 15-year, $765 million contract this past offseason. And while the general belief is that the 26-year-old is going to turn things around and catch fire at some point, fans are becoming weary of waiting.

There have been countless explanations about what might be going wrong with Soto at the plate. And a very candid opinion was offered by New York Mets (and Yankees) legend David Cone during his May 26 appearance on the ESPN Baseball Tonight podcast.

"That’s what’s going on with Juan Soto. It’s the heartbeat. It’s emotional," Cone said. "There’s no question about it. That’s what leads to the confidence in the batter’s box. That leads to the lack of the Soto shuffle.

Read more: Mets slugger laments Citi Field's impact on power

"And I don’t know how you work through that. That’s something he’s going to have to figure out himself. He’s got a good support group around him that is going to give him everything he needs," Cone continued.

"But bottom line is, Juan Soto’s got to feel it emotionally. And until he does, we’re not going to see the same old swagger that we’re used to seeing from him.”

Props to Cone for being willing to get honest about what he's seeing from Soto thus far.

Recommended Articles

Published
Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the New York Mets and Women’s Basketball for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years. He believes Mark Teixeira should have been a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee.

Home/News