It's Unfair to Expect Juan Soto to Save The Mets

It's an unfair expectation that superstar Juan Soto is going to return and carry the Mets back to relevancy.

Mar 29, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets left fielder Juan Soto (22) follows through on an RBI double against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the tenth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Rock bottom keeps getting deeper as the New York Mets have lost 12 straight games for the first time since 2002.

No team in MLB history has ever lost 12 games in a row in a season and still made the playoffs.

So while it's good news that left fielder Juan Soto (right calf strain) will return from the injured list on Wednesday, don't expect things to turn around drastically.

According to manager Carlos Mendoza, the Mets aren't going to play Soto in back-to-back games yet. He will need days off and games where he serves as the DH as well.

Although it will surely help to have Soto's bat back to boost one of the league's worst offenses, it's an unfair expectation to put all of the pressure on him to lead the turnaround.

“It definitely helps,” Mendoza said pregame on Wednesday, “but we cannot put all the pressure on one player. We got a lot of good players in there that, unfortunately, they’re going through it for quite a bit now. Yes, his presence in the lineup — nobody’s going to deny that. But putting all the pressure, ‘Oh we’re gonna have Juan Soto now’ and all of a sudden you start winning, that’s not fair for him either.

“But adding him to the lineup will definitely help.”

Soto hit .355 with a .928 OPS before injuring his calf while running the bases against the San Francisco Giants on April 3.

But the other players need to perform, too.

Beyond being without Soto for the past few weeks, the Mets have not gotten enough production from Francisco Lindor, Marcus Semien, Bo Bichette, Mark Vientos, Brett Baty or Jorge Polanco (IL, right wrist injury).

On the pitching side, Kodai Senga and David Peterson have struggled in the rotation. In the bullpen, closer Devin Williams has allowed seven runs in his last three outings to balloon his ERA to 9.95 on the season. Setup man Luke Weaver also has a 6.23 ERA after a strong start to the year initially.

So yes, the Mets are 7-16 on the season and 3-12 without Soto. His return will certainly help, but the Mets need the rest of their team and players to live up to expectations if they hope to turn their season around.

The Mets have been outscored 67-22 during their losing streak.

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