Inside The Mets

Yankees legend gets honest about Juan Soto's struggles with Mets

New York Yankees icon CC Sabathia spoke about Juan Soto starting his Mets tenure off slowly.

Grant Young

Apr 17, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets right fielder Juan Soto (22) reacts after striking out during the third inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Apr 17, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets right fielder Juan Soto (22) reacts after striking out during the third inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
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It's no secret that New York Mets slugger Juan Soto hasn't performed up to the expectations that were set when he signed a 15-year, $765 million contract.

Heading into New York's May 20 game against the Boston Red Sox, Soto was hitting .246 with an .810 OPS, 8 home runs, and 20 RBIs. While it seemed like Soto was beginning to catch fire earlier this month, his going 1-10 during the three-game set against the Yankees showed that he still hasn't found his hitting form as a member of the Mets.

Read more: Mets hurler making rival team regret offseason dismissal

And it isn't just Soto's performance on the field that's prompting discussion. The weekend spent at his former stomping grounds sparked speculation about whether he's happy with the Mets or if he regrets not re-signing with the Yankees.

However, not everybody is ready to throw in the towel regarding Soto's Mets tenure. In fact, Yankees legendary pitcher CC Sabathia showed his support for Soto, which he conveyed in a recent interview with New York Post Sports.

"I mean, I just feel like the first year for guys going over to the Mets, they struggle. I feel like Lindor had the same thing until about August of last year, or the second half of last year, is when he kind of settled in as a Met," Sabathia said, per an X post from New York Post Sports. "So I just think it takes a while."

When Sabathia was asked whether this is a New York thing or just as a Met, Sabathia said, "I feel like the stars that go to the Mets, it takes them like a year to kind of settle in. I don't know why. I don't know why, but I feel like I've seen the same thing with Lindor, and now he's the king of Queens. And so I think Soto can do the same thing."

While Mets fans hope it won't take Soto an entire year to settle in, they've got to appreciate this sentiment from Sabathia.

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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.