Mendoza will address Juan Soto’s situation following questions about his performance
New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza plans to speak with Dominican outfielder Juan Soto regarding a play that drew criticism for an apparent lack of intensity on the field. This occurred during the 3-1 loss against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.
The incident took place when Soto hit a strong hit that impacted the “Green Monster” in left field. Initially, Soto seemed to believe that the ball would leave the stadium, which led him to run slowly towards first base. Upon realizing that the ball would not go out, it was too late to try to reach second base.
“I hit it pretty hard,” Soto explained after the game. “That Green Monster is very short. I tried to get to second, but it wasn’t enough.”
Juan Soto
Although Soto managed to steal second base subsequently, the opportunity to score was lost after a double play caused by Brandon Nimmo.
Mendoza expressed his concern about the situation. “We are going to talk to him about that,” said the leader. “Juan thought he had taken it out, but in this stadium —with that wall so close— you have to run from the first step.”
This is the second consecutive incident where Soto’s effort is questioned. On Sunday, Soto ran slowly after a ground ball to center, allowing DJ LeMahieu to be thrown out on the play.
In his first season with the Mets, under a 15-year, $765 million contract, Soto is batting .246/.376/.439 with eight home runs and six stolen bases. His on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS are the lowest of his career so far.
When asked if he should improve his intensity, Soto replied: “I think I’ve been playing with quite a bit of intensity. If you saw today, you realized it.”
The team and its Dominican star will need to adjust soon if they want to reverse the difficult stretch they are going through, while the media attention closely follows every move of the biggest contract in baseball history.
