The New York Mets slugger Juan Soto has found himself in the spotlight recently, but not for the reasons he’d like.
He’s faced some criticism for a lack of hustle during the last couple of games. And it’s only getting worse.
After not sprinting out of the batter’s box against the Yankees, he hit another bump when he played against the Boston Red Sox. During one at-bat, he hit a ball off the Green Monster and stood there, seemingly convinced he had just knocked a home run.
Then he proceeded to jog to first base instead of running hard. He did manage to steal second base during the next at-bat, so it wasn’t all bad.
But all of that did not go well with WAFN’s Brandon Tierney. Following the Mets’ 3-1 loss, Tierney lashed out at Soto for his ‘don’t care’ attitude. He initially went on to compare Pete Alonso’s malfunction to Soto and then went on.
“When O’Neal would ground out the bases juiced, and he came back, and he smashed a water cooler or broke a helmet like Yeah! That’s my guy. That’s why I love O’Neal. He always had freedom and the latitude to find himself because we knew he cared. Juan Soto needs to show you that he cares,” he said.
.@BrandonTierney says Juan Soto needs to show the Met fan that he cares: pic.twitter.com/5Fx94dJh0K
— WFAN Sports Radio (@WFAN660) May 20, 2025
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Though the overexpectation put on the superstar slugger is a little too much, despite his astounding price tag.
Also Read: Juan Soto Delivers Bold 3-Word Answer To Question About Yankees Fans Booing
Mets Manager Had His Say On Juan Soto
While Tierney belted out at Juan Soto for his attitude, manager Carlos Mendoza had his own say.
When asked if he was too slow getting out of the box, Soto firmly said, “No, I think I have been hustling very hard.”
#MLBCentral reacts to Carlos Mendoza's postgame comments on Juan Soto. pic.twitter.com/6RgrNNXZfo
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) May 20, 2025
Mendoza, on the other hand, acknowledged that they needed to talk about it, emphasizing how important it is to get out of the box quickly.
Former MLB player Mark DeRosa weighed in during an MLB Network segment, expressing concern for Mendoza. He pointed out that Soto was putting his manager in a tough position.
If Mendoza were to call Soto out too harshly, he risks losing his star player for the season.
Also Read: New York Yankees Make Difficult Juan Soto Decision Ahead Of His Return
