Francisco Lindor's blunt judgment of Juan Soto's personality turns heads

New York Mets star Francisco Lindor sent a clear message about Juan Soto's personality.

Sep 28, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; New York Mets right fielder Juan Soto (22) looks on after the game against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

As the New York Mets' 2025 season continued its second-half collapse, some questions began surfacing about whether this team was going through issues in the locker room.

Perhaps the memorable part of New York's 2024 season (in which they exceeded expectations and made it to the NLCS) regarded how tightly-knit the roster was, which was largely owed to the camaraderie and chemistry that veterans like Jose Iglesias, JD Martinez, and Jose Quintana brought daily. Then all three of these guys departed during the offseason, which surely altered team chemistry.

Superstar slugger Juan Soto entered New York's clubhouse in their stead. And while Soto's excellent season showed that he was able to make an immediate impact on the field, there were some questions about how his presence impacted the Mets off the field.

Sep 27, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; New York Mets right fielder Juan Soto (22) congratulates his teammates following a victory against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

When soon-to-be free agent slugger Pete Alonso was asked about Soto's personality during a September 10 interview on The Show: A NY Post baseball podcast with Joel Sherman & Jon Heyman, he said, "He's just the same guy every day. He has been, for me, I just think he's really quiet and reserved. He's focused, and he just lives, breathes, and eats baseball. That's really it."

Alonso added, "I just see that [Soto] loves ball. Like, that's it. He lives, breathes, eats baseball. The amount of locked-in focus he has been the same every single day. You look at his first half, it's like, he could have easily been an All-Star and selected... but I definitely don't think the down year thing that people were saying was fair, because it wasn't. That's just how great he is."

Read more: Mets rival called Pete Alonso's top free agency destination

Francisco Lindor Sends Clear Message on Juan Soto's Personality

Alonso's comments didn't make it sound like Soto presented any issue in the clubhouse, and instead kept to himself. And star shortstop Francisco Lindor seemed to echo this sentiment, which was conveyed in quotes he made about Soto that were included in a September 29 article from Deesha Thosar of FOX Sports.

"He's away from the world," Lindor said of Soto’s personality. "It's him, his family, his little group, and then that's it. He comes in and out. He shares moments with us. But he's said it multiple times: 'I'm quiet. I just want to come in. Win. Do my thing.’ That’s just who he is. He's just in and out, in and out, in and out. And that's perfectly fine. 

"At the end of the day, not everyone needs to be this big personality. We all love [Soto]. We respect how he's gone about it. He makes us better," Lindor added.

Francisco Lindor: “At the end of the day, not everyone needs to be this big personality. We all love him. We respect how he's gone about it. He makes us better."

On Juan Soto finding team chemistry in his first season with the Mets, for @MLBONFOX: https://t.co/vl0mfCLUXw

— Deesha (@DeeshaThosar) September 30, 2025

While Lindor did say that Soto's apparent absence from the team at times is "perfectly fine," hearing this isn't going to make Mets fans feel great about their team's clubhouse chemistry.