Juan Soto sends home run into Royals fountains

Soto faced Bowlan with one on and no outs in the top of the fourth inning. He worked the count full before unloading on a hanging breaking ball. The two-run shot traveled 435 feet and gave the Mets a 2-0 lead.

Juan Soto stays hot as the Mets fight for division lead

Soto has been on fire since a well-documented slow start to the season. The eighth-year veteran is changing the narrative after heating up in June. Entering Saturday’s matchup with the Royals, Soto slashed .337/.468/.693 in his last 30 games. He had 11 home runs, 23 RBI and 26 runs scored in that stretch.

It’s a complete turnaround after hitting .234 with 11 homers and 31 RBI in his first 64 games. Soto is now up to .266 with a .916 OPS on the season. He has 23 home runs, 56 RBI and 70 runs scored in 95 games with the Mets.

But despite the remarkable resurgence, Soto was not selected for the 2025 All-Star Game. It’s the first time he’s missed the exhibition since 2019. Leaving Soto off the list is considered one of the All-Star Game’s biggest snubs.

However, Soto’s early struggles in his Mets debut – and the intense spotlight media coverage put on his start in Queens after he signed a $765 million contract – proved too much to overcome. Still, Soto took the snub in stride, saying simply that he has to play better.

The 26-year-old right fielder has been better. But it hasn’t elevated the Mets’ play. Soto started heating up in early June. New York had taken control of the NL East at that time, holding a five-game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies on June 10.

Since then, the Mets have gone 11-17 as the Phillies surpassed them in the division. Entering Saturday, Philadelphia has a half game lead in the NL East.