New York Mets owner Steve Cohen opened his checkbook like never before for Juan Soto this winter, committing to a record-shattering 15-year, $765 million contract. While the Mets have stormed to MLB’s top record (21-9) heading into Wednesday night’s matchup against the Arizona Diamondbacks, their prize acquisition hasn’t found his groove yet.
Through 30 games, Soto’s slash line sits at .250/.374/.398 with a 122 OPS+. The four-time All-Star’s power numbers tell a concerning story — just three home runs on the season and none since April 15.
But is the man who signed the checks worried?
“I’m not worried about Juan. He’s singularly focused on baseball. He’s a pure hitter,” Cohen told SNY. “Let’s have this discussion at the end of the year.”
The Mets owner acknowledged the slugger’s current production falls short of expectations while highlighting his less obvious contributions.
“If you ask him, he’d probably say it’s not going as what he hoped. That’s not what the back of his baseball card would say,” Cohen noted. “But saying that, there’s a lot of subtle things that he does that I really think matters. The way that he works the count, makes pitchers throw extra pitches, really matters.”
Cohen pointed to Soto’s impact on the lineup’s effectiveness. “Then he gets on base, and Pete [Alonso] can drive him in. And so Pete is seeing better pitches. It’s very subtle how that works, and you can’t just look at it in a very narrow sense.”
The lack of power marks a stark departure from Soto’s 2024 form with the New York Yankees, where he placed third in AL MVP voting with 41 homers, a .989 OPS, 178 OPS+, and led the American League with 128 runs scored.
With the calendar just turning to May, Cohen’s patience suggests the Mets believe Soto’s bat will heat up alongside the summer temperatures.
