May 28, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Mets right fielder Juan Soto (22) reacts after striking out during the game against the Chicago White Sox at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Boland-Imagn Images Lucas Boland-Imagn Images

Expert's bold Juan Soto Mets season take raises eyebrows

Originally posted on New York Mets on SI | By Grant Young | Last updated Jun 6, 2025 8:00 AM ET

While New York Mets slugger Juan Soto has looked like the guy the Mets expected when they offered him a $765 million contract over the past week or so, more still needs to be seen from the 26-year-old before fans decide that his hitting woes are firmly in the rearview.

This is why it was surprising to see one of Bleacher Report writer Kerry Miller's "Bold MLB Takes 60 Games into 2025 Season" being that, 'There's Nothing to Worry About with Juan Soto' in a June 5 article.

"If you'll recall, people were also losing their minds when Shohei Ohtani had a .631 OPS with no home runs eight games into his first season with the Dodgers. Granted, that conflagration had a betting scandal propellant attached to it, but Ohtani eventually turned a corner and merely ended up with the most marvelous HR/SB campaign of all time," Miller wrote.

"With Soto, we're perhaps just now getting that corner turn.

"That was a full on Soto Shuffle... Juan Soto is back folks!" #MLBNShowcase pic.twitter.com/iUPMg8ss0U
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) June 5, 2025

"He was *fine* through New York's first 39 games, but his numbers were downright abysmal from May 10-28, going 7-for-59 with no home runs for a .396 OPS—with a lack-of-hustle controversy, to boot. At that point, he was batting .224 and his slugging percentage had even dipped below .400," Miller continued.

"Even as things got ugly, though, it always felt like the breakthrough was coming."

Miller later added, "Was he 'pressing' at the plate? Maybe a little.

"But was he still hitting the ball ridiculously hard and suffering from one of the worst 'BABIP compared to career norm' marks in the majors? Most definitely."

Miller concluded by writing, "You could almost tell from how much everyone was rushing to publish their 'What's wrong with Soto?' articles that even they fully expected him to snap out of it at any moment. And facing the woebegone Colorado Rockies may have been just what the doctor ordered, because he tattooed a pair of dingers in that series and now has three home runs in his last four games."