Hall of Famer provides insight into Juan Soto's early struggles

Ortiz also discussed the expectations surrounding Soto, especially after the 26-year-old outfielder signed his 15-year, $765M contract, which put a massive spotlight on him.

"The guy didn't get paid to do what Aaron Judge and [Shohei] Ohtani started doing, no. [Soto] got paid because, well, he used to hit 30 homers, 90 to 100 RBI, [records a] .280, .290, .300 [batting average], and a .400 on-base percentage," Ortiz explained. "He needs to get back to that." 

The Hall of Famer is correct that Soto isn't a hitter like Judge or Ohtani. Soto has a high level of consistency at the plate in his eight seasons in the majors, but hasn't produced at the historic levels Ohtani and Judge have done.   

In the first few months of the season, Ohtani leads MLB in home runs (23) with a slashline of .292/.386/.661, while Aaron Judge has recorded an MLB-best slashline of .391/.485/.764. Soto's 2025 slashline isn't as exciting in comparison, sitting at .234/.364/.430. According to Ortiz, this shouldn't be concerning yet for Mets fans, as Soto is too good a player not to find his elite form again.

In fact, Soto is known to start slow with his new teams. After being traded to the San Diego Padres in 2022, Soto only hit six home runs and eight doubles with the team. Then in 2023, he hit 35 home runs and 32 doubles.

Mets officials are hoping Soto will expedite his rebound, as they believe he's not being aggressive enough at the plate. On Monday, in the first of a four-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Soto recorded one hit and one walk in four at-bats. The team still beat the 2024 World Series champs, 4-3, in extra innings, but Soto's production remains the top story. 

For Mets fans, they'll have to hope Ortiz's assessment of Soto's swing is correct and that Soto will make his adjustment sooner rather than later. While the Mets are back to sitting atop the NL East, Soto's performance drives the most attention and could prove detrimental if other stars on the Mets cool off.