The New York Mets opened their 2025 season with a 3-1 loss to the Houston Astros, but all eyes were on former Yankees star Juan Soto in his highly anticipated debut. After inking a historic $765 million deal over the winter, the pressure was already sky-high — and every plate appearance on Thursday added fuel to the fire.
Strong Start Sets the Tone
It didn’t take long for Soto to make his presence felt. In his very first at-bat in a Mets uniform, he smoked a 110.4 mph single into right-center field. The sound off the bat alone was enough to electrify the fan base. Soto followed it up with a pair of walks, showcasing the elite plate discipline that has defined his career.
Through eight innings, he looked the part of the generational hitter the Mets paid for — calm, patient, and ready to do damage.
Ninth Inning Comes Up Empty
But baseball has a way of humbling even its brightest stars.
With the Mets trailing 3-1 in the bottom of the ninth, the stage was set. Men on the corners, two outs, Juan Soto at the plate — the kind of moment $765 million is supposed to buy. After taking three straight balls and working the count full, Soto whiffed at a devastating Josh Hader slider that clipped the outside corner.
It was the kind of at-bat that will stick in fans’ minds for a while. And for Yankee fans, still feeling the sting of Soto’s departure to Queens, it might’ve felt like a small dose of poetic justice — a star they once had watching a golden opportunity slip through the cracks in a different uniform.
Early Glimpses of a Big Year
One swing won’t define Soto’s season, and one game certainly won’t shape the Mets’ future.
If anything, his Opening Day performance was a microcosm of what to expect — brilliance, danger in every at-bat, and the burden of astronomical expectations. Soto looks healthy, locked in, and eager to lead. There’s no question the Mets lineup is more dangerous with him in the middle of it.
The season is young, but in New York, every moment matters. And with Soto now donning blue and orange, there will be many more of these headline-grabbing moments to come — for better or worse.