Mets legend calls Soto’s rough start a ‘rite of passage’ with fans

It hasn’t exactly been as New York Mets fans imagined. Through 49 games, Juan Soto has just eight home runs and 20 RBI, while slashing a very un-Soto-like .243/.374/.429.

The unrest among Mets fans reached a crescendo this past weekend when the team lost to the cross-town rival New York Yankees, Soto’s former team. But one Mets legend told New York Post insider Joel Sherman about a rocky start with the team being a ‘rite of passage’ with the rabid fan base.

Mike Piazza went down a very similar path to Soto when he joined the Mets in 1998. Unable to come to terms with a new contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Piazza was dealt twice that year, eventually landing with the Mets.

EXCLUSIVE: @joelsherman1 talked with Mets legend Mike Piazza about why Juan Soto's messy start is a 'rite of passage'

Read more here ➡️ https://t.co/HeWjWSMPU8 pic.twitter.com/aLCyS4rAq7
— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) May 21, 2025

“It’s easier to forget the time, because now Mike Piazza is a beloved, historic Met. But in that first year, it was almost 27 years ago, right now, he was traded twice in May,” Sherman recalled from his conversation via his X account.

The parallels between Piazza and Soto’s starts with the Mets are uncanny. While the Mets are in a better position now than they were in 1998, both Piazza and Soto were treated as the team’s saviors and the missing piece that could push the team back to title contention. Unfortunately, for both players, slow starts with the Mets were amplified by the team’s passionate fans.

“Initially, he’s (Piazza) going to be the savior. The Mets hadn’t been in the postseason in a decade, but he struggled early, especially with runners in scoring position. He got booed like crazy at Shea Stadium for those first few months.”

Sound familiar? It hasn’t just been Soto who has struggled with runners in scoring position this year. Prior to their 5-1 win over the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday, the Mets went 5-for-44 with RISP and didn't hit a single home run from May 14 to May 20; it is a stark contrast to how the team started the season. Losing streaks can also amplify struggles at the plate, especially when they are at the expense of the hated Yankees.

Mets lose, 2-0 - the first time they've lost three in a row this year. They were 0-for-7 with RISP with seven LOB. They’re 5-for-44 (.114) with RISP n over the last six games and have left 43 men on. Six games without a homer hasn't happened since 2015.
— Laura Albanese (@AlbaneseLaura) May 21, 2025

Sherman recalled some things that Piazza said in his interview that helped him during those tough early days with the Mets.

“When you’re struggling, it’s time to hustle even more, he (Piazza) said he got that piece of advice from Jim Leyland. It’s very important to give yourself to your teammates and think about the big group and not about a small group. Soto just has to make it about the team, don’t make it bigger, make it smaller. This is a rite of passage, that there is an intensity in New York, and you end up better if you get through this.”

Juan Soto: I was once the highest paid player and it took me a while to adjust. Nobody thinks about the human inside the uniform. There are things that can get you distracted. We forget how young he is. #mlbontbs
— Pedro Martinez (@45PedroMartinez) May 20, 2025

We all know how things ended up for Piazza. Despite his early-season struggles, it didn’t take long for him to win back the respect of Mets fans. Soto will always be under the microscope in New York, not just for his record-breaking contract, but for leaving the Bronx to start fresh in Queens. Piazza believes that Soto will get through this rocky start, and he implores Mets fans to do the same.

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