Four-time All-Star right fielder Juan Soto had a chance for a storybook ending to his Mets debut. He spoiled it instead.
On Thursday, the Mets fell to the Astros, 3-1, despite a late rally in the top of the ninth inning against Astros closer Josh Hader, which ended when Soto struck out swinging after previously going ahead in the count, 3-0.
Hader got Soto to stare at a slider down the middle of the plate for the first strike and a foul ball for strike two. On the game's final pitch, Hader fooled Soto with a slider out of the zone.
Josh Hader strikes out Juan Soto to end the game pic.twitter.com/B86sSkzf6D
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) March 27, 2025
Before Soto's at-bat, Hader allowed two singles and a walk to load the bases with nobody out. Following a strikeout and sacrifice fly that pulled the Mets within two runs, Soto stepped to the plate with a chance of being the hero for New York.
After signing a gargantuan 15-year, $765M contract this offseason, it was the exact type of moment that the Mets signed him for. Instead, his first triumphant moment with his new team was deferred to another day.
Soto had come through in clutch situations several times previously. Most recently, he launched a three-run home run in the top of the 10th inning of Game 5 in the 2024 ALCS, sending the Yankees to last year's World Series.
JUAN SOTO. THREE-RUN HOMER. @YANKEES LEAD IN THE 10TH! pic.twitter.com/w5goa4pSwz
— MLB (@MLB) October 20, 2024
He blasted a two-run shot in the ninth with the Yanks trailing 5-4 at the Giants last June.
SOTO'S SECOND HOMER IN THE 9TH!#YANKSonYES pic.twitter.com/zJoHMFOyFE
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) June 2, 2024
In July 2019, while with the Nationals, Soto gave Washington a one-run lead against the Phillies after hitting a two-out, two-run home run in the top of the ninth.
Top 9...
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) July 14, 2019
Down 1...
2 outs...
Man on...
JUAN SOTO GO-AHEAD HOME RUN TRAVELS 420 FEET!#ChildishBambino // #OnePursuit pic.twitter.com/1jThOZz6LG
Soto's strikeout on Thursday overshadowed his otherwise decent debut in a Mets uniform. He reached base three times in five plate appearances, including one hit and two walks.
But the play he didn't make, in the game's most high-stakes moment, will be most remembered from his 2025 Opening Day.
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