David Stearns: Juan Soto is ‘trying to do too much’ right now amid slow start

David Stearns: Juan Soto is ‘trying to do too much’ right now amid slow start

With money comes expectations. When Juan Soto, coming off one of the best seasons of his career across town in the Bronx, signed the richest deal in North American Sports History, expectations shot through the roof.

While the New York Mets have still played at a near-100-win pace, Juan Soto’s struggled, entering Friday’s three-game set against the Colorado Rockies slashing .224/.352/.393, which would be the worst marks of his career up to this point.

He hasn’t quite looked himself, and Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns told reporters Friday that he believes his star slugger could be pressing.

“I honestly don’t have a like, ‘this is the issue that he needs to fix’ take to get better,” Stearns said Friday. “I think he’s taking pretty good at-bats, he’s controlling the strike zone pretty well. He’s hitting the ball on the ground a little bit more than he has in the past. I think that’s something that he’s aware of. But telling yourself, ‘Hey, I need to hit the ball in the air more,’ doesn’t immediately translate to hitting the ball in the air more.

“Do I think he’s trying to do a little too much right now? Yeah, I think he’s probably trying to do a little bit too much right now. And that is natural for a player who cares about improving.”

"Do I think he's trying to do a little bit too much right now? Yeah, I think he's probably trying to do a little bit too much right now. And that is natural for a player who cares about improving."

– David Stearns on Juan Soto pic.twitter.com/rBdfsSVFBy

— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) May 30, 2025

CC Sabathia defends Juan Soto amid rough 2025 start

Soto is hitting the ball on the ground more than he has in the past, which has been a reason why his numbers have dipped. He’s on pace to have the third-highest ground-ball rate of his career, even though he’s pulling the ball almost as often as he did last season.

I believe that it’s only a matter of time before Soto heats up and his OPS heads toward the .850 range. He may not get there, but he’s too good of a hitter to be struggling the way he has (relative to expectation). Until the fat lady sings, it’s a matter of when, not if.

***

Click Here for more MLB Content

Subscribe to Vendetta’s Twitch

Subscribe to Vendetta’s YouTube

Check out Vendetta Fantasy Contests