Juan Soto makes big admission about having 'fun' with Mets

The New York Mets' recent woes may prove to be a midseason collapse for what was thought earlier in June to be a World Series contender.

That said, outfielder Juan Soto broke out of his springtime swoon in a big way during what has thus far been the club's worst month of the campaign.

After Soto hit a pair of home runs in New York's badly needed 7-3 win over the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday night, he seemed to put certain questions that previously hovered over the Mets to bed. 

"I think it’s starting to happen, (the) swing, everything is going the right way," Soto said, as shared by Dhani Joseph of The Athletic. "Finally, the cold weather is gone, so I can have fun now."

As Soto repeatedly struggled to produce at the plate over the first two months of his Mets tenure, outsiders accused him of being "very glum" over the fact that he left the New York Yankees via free agency to sign the 15-year, $765M contract that could reportedly exceed $800M total offered by the Mets. On Wednesday, Soto became the first Mets player in history to record at least 10 home runs, 20 runs scored and 20 walks in a single calendar month.

"Just watching him go about his business, day in and day out -- how steady he is with his personality, he same guy that we saw early in the year when it seemed like the world was coming to an end because Juan Soto wasn't hitting is the same guy that we're seeing right now," Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said after Wednesday's result, per Garrett Stepien of SNY. "Back then, he didn't get too low. Right now, he's not too high."

Soto has reasons to feel like he's on top of the world regarding his recent performances. Per Baseball Reference, he slashed .333/.486/.774 with a 1.260 OPS, 11 homers, 20 RBI, 24 walks and 24 runs scored over 25 games played from May 30 through June 25. Despite that hot streak, the 47-34 Mets lost 10 of 11 contests before their latest victory at Citi Field. 

The 47-33 Philadelphia Phillies began Thursday atop the National League East standings. 

"That, for me and for all of us, is pretty impressive to see that type of consistency and through a stretch where we're not winning games and it's hard for us," Mendoza continued. "That's what's pretty incredible -- his routine, his personality, the way he's interacting with the players, with the coaches, with support staff. That's what, for me, makes him who he is."

David Lennon of Newsday noted that Soto insisted on Wednesday that he cares more about "winning the game" than about his personal statistics. If Soto truly has busted out of his rough patch, he could guide the Mets out of theirs ahead of the All-Star break.