Mets vs. Yankees Subway Series finale draws massive viewership

The story of the series was Soto's return to Yankee Stadium. As fans did their best to terrorize the one-year Yankee, booing and turning their backs to him, Soto failed to deliver any significant moments throughout the series, going just 1-for-10 at the plate. Soto managed four walks and provided two stolen bases and two runs, but his lack of offensive production in this spotlight has caused many to question his $765 million price tag.

According to Mets manager Carlos Mendoza, Soto "embraced" Yankee Stadium's hostility. "He knew what was coming, and he didn't change, even though [Sunday] was pretty much the only game that we didn't see results."

But after Monday's loss to the Boston Red Sox, the relationship between Soto and his skipper appears to be in a different place. Mendoza told reporters that the team would speak with their star player about running harder out of the batter's box. Meanwhile, Soto claimed he has been "hustling pretty hard."

The disconnect between player and coach is certainly not nothing, but questions about Soto's enthusiasm and effort would likely be smoothed over by Soto breaking out of his slump. The four-time All-Star continues to rank in the upper 90th percentile in nearly all of Baseball Savant's advanced batting metrics, including a top 4% average exit velocity (94.2 mph) and a top 6% hard hit rate (55.0%).

Sunday's finale was decided after a Yankees' six-run eighth inning that began on a Pete Alonso throwing error. In an attempt to replicate a nearly identical play from the game before, the first baseman air-mailed a throw home that allowed Jasson Dominguez to score and break the 2-2 tie.

After the game, Alonso owned his error, saying he "just made an awful throw." The long-time Met went further: "the whole inning, the game, it's on me." New York's infield has struggled in big spots as of late and has committed 19 errors this season. When asked about the defensive woes, Mendoza admitted that his "good defenders" need to improve.

The first Subway Series with Soto in a Mets uniform is ultimately just three games in a long season. However, it's impossible to deny the magnitude of his return to Yankee Stadium and the ensuing media frenzy. The number one fix for Soto and the Amazin's will be to get the bats going and get back in the win column.