Juan Soto Sends Clear Message After Mets' Win Over Dodgers

Soto’s night began with what might have been a warning shot. In the first inning, he barreled a 396-foot drive to straightaway center, clocked at 102.5 mph off the bat. Statcast pegged it with a .790 expected batting average. It was caught—but the message was sent. His next trip, he followed a disputed check-swing call with a 102.2 mph ground-ball single up the middle, another example of a bat beginning to find its rhythm.

The signature moment came in the sixth. Tied at two, Soto jumped on a fastball and lashed a double off the right-field wall. It wasn’t just a go-ahead hit—it was a return to form. With one swing, Soto reminded a restless fanbase and an increasingly vocal chorus of critics why the Mets made him the richest player in MLB history.

Speaking after the game, Soto said, "It's always great to get the lead for the team. After a tough loss, trying to bounce back and we did it in the best way."

On his recent poor lick at the plate, he added (via SNY), "I just call it baseball. It's gonna happen, sometimes you're going to hit it hard and you're going to hit it right in front of people. You've got to keep moving forward."

Soto finished 2-for-5, raising his average modestly but reigniting a narrative in need of fire. The Mets as a team had been dreadful with runners in scoring position—27th in MLB at .213—and Soto’s .119 average in those moments had become a focal point of frustration. But winning—and timely hitting—has a way of reframing the conversation.