Jeff Passan gives his take on the Mets’ Juan Soto’s slow start: “He just doesn’t look like a $765 million player”

Juan Soto is still adjusting to life as a New York Mets slugger. The highest-paid player in Major League Baseball believes pitchers are approaching him differently now that he no longer has the protection of former teammate Aaron Judge in the New York Yankees’ lineup.

“It’s definitely different,” Soto told The New York Post’s senior sports reporter Mike Puma ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Twins. “I had the best hitter in baseball hitting behind me. I was getting more attacked and more pitches in the strike zone, less intentional walks and things like that. I was pitched differently last year.”

Soto’s figures in 2025

Soto launched his second home run of the season in the Mets’ 5-1 victory over Minnesota on Tuesday night.

The 26-year-old slugger is slashing .250/.400/.429 with six RBIs through his first 16 games as a Met. By comparison, he tallied three home runs and 15 RBIs in his first 16 games with the Yankees in 2024.

Opposing pitchers seem more willing to take their chances with Pete Alonso, who has thrived batting behind Soto in the lineup. As of Tuesday, Alonso boasted the highest OPS (1.136) in the National League

ESPN baseball columnist Jeff Passan gave his thoughts about Soto’s sluggish start and says while the Dominican “doesn’t look like a $765 million player” at the moment, he is confident he will enjoy a successful season.

“The power’s not there”

“It’s true - he had Aaron Judge sitting behind him last year! It changes things!" Passan told Chris Rose Sports. “Granted, he’s got Pete Alonso this year, so that kind of helps as well. And Pete Alonso’s been the second-beat hitter in Major League Baseball - behind Aaron Judge this year so, I’m not sure that‘s the reason why Juan Soto struggled - and by the way, I say struggled, the guy’s getting on base 40 percent of the time so the power’s not there.

“He has those moments, when he’s not hitting for power. And it’s okay because he still manages to be productive. He just doesn’t look like a $765 million player at this point, but that’s okay. I have no questions whatsoever that Juan Soto is going to have a fantastic season, is going to be an integral part of this Mets team, making a good playoff run".

Rose quipped that maybe the reason why Soto looks unhappy is because he is “standing in 38-degree Minnesota and he’s like ‘God damn! When is it ever going to get warm around here so I can start unleashing my power!’”

For now, Soto is taking a philosophical approach, as he explained: “Everyone has a role, and I think, as a team, we need to attack pitchers collectively. We don’t have to go after them individually. If they don’t want to pitch to me, I’ll just pass the baton and let Alonso do his thing. If they don’t want to pitch to him, he should do the same.”

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