Sizzling Soto Carries Mets To 10-8 Win! Can He Go On September Tear?

Inflated Expectations

Anytime a player signs a gigantic contract, many fans anticipate massive returns. It seems like a fair trade-off, but often the adjustment periods lead to sluggish beginnings. The transition becomes even more prolonged when carrying the weight of the largest baseball contract in history.

Soto didn’t switch leagues; he changed boroughs, so one would think the acclimation would be smoother. It didn’t turn out that way as he experienced a rough April, hitting .232 with a .701 on-base plus slugging percentage. He experienced a 14-game homerless drought, which drew the New York faithful’s ire.

Fans expected Soto to bash home runs in bunches, especially with men on base. When that didn’t happen and the Mets lost several close games the first month, the “overpaid” chants became prevalent. It created a perception that has stayed with him throughout the season.

Soto Breaks Out

Soto is seen as having a disappointing season, even after a massive June. During the month, he hit .322 with a 1.196 OPS. He clubbed 11 homers with 20 runs batted in. New York surged to the best record in the game, 45-24. Insider impression stayed on Soto’s down year, though, and had a big impact on him not being included on the National League All-Star roster.

An awful July didn’t help; Soto dipped to a .210 average with a .760 OPS. He hit five HRs and knocked in 15 runs while the Mets hit the skids, going 19-34 into August. Many of the defeats were wins that slipped out of New York’s fingertips at the end. Horrific clutch hitting and atrocious pitching paved the mounting pile of defeats. Soto did little in the late-game moments.

Power Happy August

The losing continued into the first couple of weeks of August; the hitting, though, showed signs of life. The Mets scored 31 runs in a four-game stretch, yet lost three due to abominable starting pitching. Kodai Senga, Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas, and Clay Holmes all struggled mightily, finally leading to the much-anticipated callups of Nolan McLean and Jonah Tong.

Soto hit seven homers with 17 runs batted in from August 13th to the end of the month. Regardless, perception didn’t see them as game changers, and New York went a mediocre 9-9 during that stretch. The Mets finished August with an extremely disappointing three defeats out of four games at home against the Miami Marlins. They failed to capitalize on the momentum from New York’s sweep of their rival Philadelphia Phillies.

Soto hit two home runs and knocked in three during the Saturday evening game against the Marlins, yet the Mets still lost. It illustrated the theme of his season. When Soto has big games, New York has usually lost, regardless, due to terrible pitching. In wins, his huge performances have often come with his team up by massive margins, negating the dramatic impact.

Soto’s Met Moment

On Labor Day, Soto experienced his most impactful day as a Met. New York needed a victory against a terrific Detroit Tigers team on the road following the embarrassing showing against the Marlins.

Once again, the veteran starting pitching failed to show up. Manaea labored to complete innings and was removed in the fourth. The Mets cling to a 6-5 lead that quickly vanished in the fifth. The bats needed to pick the team up, and this time, they did enough to overcome the miserable pitching.

By game’s end, New York scored 10 runs on eight hits and seven walks. They had an answer for each Detroit score. The lineup performed well, with all position players getting on base. Soto, though, drove the excellent scoring display.

Soto responded dramatically to the Tigers’ retaking the lead in the third. Coming to the plate in the fourth with the bases loaded, he drilled a 419-foot grand slam over right center. For most teams, this would mean a chance to go to cruise control for the afternoon. For the Mets, though, little ever seems to come easy.

Detroit tied the contest in the fifth off Ryan Stanek, who has become New York’s version of gasoline on a raging fire. Once again, the Mets looked on the verge of blowing a lead and losing an excruciating game late.

Soto responded with another clutch at bat in the sixth, walloping a triple to drive in two, giving New York a lead it would not give away. By game’s end, a massively needed Mets 10-8 victory, Soto had two hits, two runs scored, a grand slam, and six RBI.

End Of My Juan Soto Rant

Soto is perceived to be having a down year, but his stats offer a different story. He currently has 36 homers and 90 runs batted in, which puts him on pace for a 40 HR and 100 RBI season.

Soto has swiped 26 bases, giving him a reasonable shot at a 40-homer and 30 stolen base season. He has scored 104 runs and walked 113 times, giving him the opportunity for a 40 HR, 30 SB, 100 RBI, 100 run, and 100 walk season. Only Barry Bonds and Jeff Bagwell have accomplished the feat this century.

Impressions drive all though, and Soto needs a September filled with his Labor Day output. New York is currently on a brutal 10-game road trip against the Tigers, Cincinnati Reds, and Phillies. Home contests against the surging Texas Rangers and San Diego Padres, and a road matchup against the Chicago Cubs, also await.

The Mets have a four-game Wild Card lead over the Reds, but must face them this weekend at the Great American Ball Park. They are two games behind the Padres with the showdown at the Big Apple forthcoming. The six-game NL East deficit to the Phillies and five-game Wild Card deficit to the Cubs seem insurmountable, but sweeps in the upcoming contests against those two could flip things. There are many possible outcomes down the stretch run.

Soto is one of the few players with the ability to carry a team on his back through whatever obstacles it might face. New York’s dreadful starting pitching is a huge hurdle. How many teams in playoff contention this late in the season historically could say their top pitchers were rookies? The Mets can, McLean has been a revelation, and Tong showed promise in last week’s MLB debut.

The veteran arms, though, can’t be counted on. General Manager David Stearns should call up Brandon Sproat for a starting corps nod and give Tylor Megill a rotation shot, too. They couldn’t do worse.

Whatever happens, the bats will have to come up huge. They have done better lately in runners in scoring position scenarios, and they have been one of the best power-hitting teams in the game.

Soto, though, must drive it. He is a special talent who can help raise the fame of those around him. Considering he had a poor July and early August, he seems ready for an extended hot stretch. It also feels like he is enjoying the back against the wall effect and is ready for the high-pressure stakes that are coming. Ultimately, it’s best to believe in ability, and Soto is as good as they come. He will give fans a closing stretch month to remember.