David Stearns Discusses Juan Soto’s Struggles at the Plate
Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns provided insight into Juan Soto’s ongoing hitting struggles as the team prepared for their May 30 game against the Colorado Rockies. Heading into the game, Soto had a .223 batting average and a .742 OPS, which is far below expectations given the high hopes following his 15-year, $765 million contract signed in the offseason.
Stearns, who was in the best position to assess Soto’s value when he became a free agent, acknowledged that no one could have anticipated Soto’s prolonged struggles more than two months into his first season with the Mets.
JUAN SOTO pic.twitter.com/pGCZj2dpIJ
— We Gotta Believe (@GottaBelievePod) May 25, 2025
When speaking to the media on May 30, Stearns offered a candid assessment of Soto’s performance.
“I honestly don’t have a specific fix for him,” Stearns said. “I think he’s taking solid at-bats and controlling the strike zone well. He’s hitting the ball on the ground more than he usually does, and that’s something he’s aware of. But just telling yourself, ‘I need to hit the ball in the air more,’ doesn’t always result in that.”
"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
Stearns continued, “Do I think he’s trying to do too much? Yeah, I think he probably is. And that’s natural for a player who cares about improving.”
It’s clear Soto is pressing at the plate, and while Stearns has identified the issue, figuring out the solution is a different challenge altogether.
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