It wasn’t panic. Not exactly. But there was a growing tension among New York Mets fans whenever Juan Soto stepped to the plate.
The man with the $765 million swing was doing fine—good even—but “fine” isn’t what New York paid for. Soto wasn’t barreling balls with the same ruthless precision.
He was walking, yes. Still hitting the ball hard, yes. But the results just weren’t quite Soto-like.
Watching him hit during that stretch was like seeing a Ferrari stuck in second gear. Everything under the hood still worked, but it wasn’t hitting top speed.
Soto’s June surge is turning heads again
Now, that engine is humming. The swagger is back. The numbers are no longer just respectable—they’re dangerous again.
On Sunday, Soto reached base six times in a single game. Sure, it came against the struggling Colorado Rockies, but it was still a showcase. Three hits. Three walks. Not a single moment of doubt in his approach.
More importantly, Soto himself acknowledged what fans were seeing with their eyes: the process never changed, but the results are finally following.
“It’s always a good feeling to get on base, try to help the team in any way,” he told SNY after the game. “I’m just finding more gaps, more holes… making some good swings and decisions.”
Hard contact is translating into real production
It was never about weak contact. Soto was still punishing the ball—his 2025 hard-hit rate sits at 54.7 percent, which is elite.
The only issue was timing and luck. Now, as he puts it, the ball is finding more grass and less leather. That’s showing in the box scores. In June alone, he’s hitting .346 with an absurd .564 on-base percentage and a .615 slugging rate.
Those aren’t the numbers of a man who’s merely recovering—they’re the stats of a player locked in.
Plate discipline continues to be otherworldly
Even during his “slump,” Soto’s eye at the plate never wavered. Across his last 15 games, he owns a .435 OBP. He’s drawn 12 walks in June alone. That level of patience is something most hitters would dream of, but for Soto, it’s the baseline.
His expected wOBA (.436) nearly mirrors last year’s (.462), showing that despite some unlucky bounces earlier, the foundation was always intact.
That’s the thing about Juan Soto—his baseline is other players’ career years.
Career norms suggest even better days ahead
While Soto may not flirt with the 180 wRC+ he posted in 2024, there’s every reason to believe he’ll improve upon his current 135 wRC+. His career mark of 157 is in play if this hot stretch continues through the summer.
He’s hitting the ball hard. He’s taking his walks. And now, the hits are starting to land where gloves aren’t. All the ingredients of a vintage Soto stretch are back in the recipe.
So for those who worried, it’s okay to exhale. The slump is in the rearview. The superstar is back.