It’s no secret that Juan Soto’s free agency decision this past MLB offseason came down to the New York Mets and the New York Yankees, the latter being where he spent the entire 2024 season (which ended with a trip to the World Series).
Soto ultimately chose to take his talents to Queens, a decision that not only changed the landscape of Major League Baseball but seemed to shift the long-standing cultural dynamics that New York’s two baseball teams have held with each other.
In hindsight, perhaps it might have been foolish to expect Soto to sign the biggest contract in sports history, then continue just as he had left off in 2024 with a completely new franchise, not to mention one that expected him to immediately perform like an MVP contender. Or perhaps these massive expectations are the fair byproduct of signing such a behemoth contract.
Regardless, it has clearly been a tough transition from one New York team to the next. Soto made this clear during a postgame interview with Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports on May 24.
“You know, it’s not easy at all,” Soto said of adjusting to the Mets from the Yankees, per an X post from FOX Sports: MLB. “It’s a new team, and after you make a commitment for this long, it takes you time. It takes you time to sit down, look around, and enjoy the moment.”
This “not easy” transition from team to team is surely one factor of Soto’s uncharacteristically slow start to the 2025 season. However, once he begins getting more comfortable in a Mets uniform, fans can expect to see the old Soto return to the field.
