Jul 30, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns speaks to the media about the MLB trade deadline before a game against the Minnesota Twins at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Brad Penner-Imagn Images

David Stearns assesses what's wrong with Juan Soto

Originally posted on New York Mets on SI | By Grant Young | Last updated May 31, 2025 8:00 AM ET

Heading into the New York Mets' May 30 game against the Colorado Rockies, Juan Soto has a .223 average with a .742 OPS. This is far from what the Mets front office (or its fan base) was expecting when Soto signed a 15-year, $765 million deal this past offseason.

If there was one person to accurately assess how much Soto was worth back when he was a free agent, it was Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns. Of course, nobody could have predicted that Soto would still be struggling this much over two months into his first season in Queens, so Stearns can't be blamed.

JUAN SOTO pic.twitter.com/pGCZj2dpIJ
— We Gotta Believe (@GottaBelievePod) May 25, 2025

Stearns spoke with the media on May 30, and got honest when asked what he's seeing with Soto right now.

"I honestly don't have a 'this is the issue he needs to fix to get better'. I think he's taking pretty good at-bats, he's controlling the strike zone pretty well," Stearns said of Soto, per an X post from SNY. "He's hitting the ball on the ground a little bit more than he has in the past, I think that's something he's aware of. But telling yourself, 'Hey, I need to hit the ball in the air more,' doesn't immediately translate to hitting the ball in the air more.

"Do I think he's trying to do a little bit too much right now? Yeah, I think he's probably trying to do a little bit too much right now. And that is natural for a player who cares about improving," Stearns added.

"Do I think he's trying to do a little bit too much right now? Yeah, I think he's probably trying to do a little bit too much right now. And that is natural for a player who cares about improving."

- David Stearns on Juan Soto pic.twitter.com/rBdfsSVFBy
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) May 30, 2025

It's clear that Soto is pressing at the plate right now. But as Stearns alluding to, diagnosing this issue and finding out how to fix it are two distinct things.

This article first appeared on New York Mets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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