The New York Mets signed superstar Juan Soto in MLB free agency this winter. It was a historic contract for Soto and the Mets, and it brought about a ton of excitement for this ballclub. On Thursday, Soto made his debut with his new team against Framber Valdez and the Houston Astros. Unfortunately, Opening Day did not go as New York planned.

Soto had an up-and-down performance in his debut. He only managed a hit in three at-bats. However, he did manage to work two walks during this contest. But the newest Mets superstar also struck out to end the game, leading to an Astros victory by the score of 3-1 at Daikin Park.

After the game, Soto addressed the media following his official team debut. His team came up short on Opening Day, but the outfielder did find some positives. He mentioned that his experience in his New York debut was still a good one, even if they picked up a loss.

“I was expecting to win the game. It's now how we wanted it. (The Astros) are a really good team over there. They come in and grind. For me, it was a good experience. These guys are amazing. We've been having a good time since spring training, so we've just got to bring that all the way,” Soto said, via SNY.

Mets, Juan Soto could not take down Astros on Opening Day

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New York came into this contest hoping to secure a victory. Unfortunately, the offense did not come out to play for the Amazins on Thursday. Houston took an early lead in the second inning thanks to an RBI fielder's choice. Yainer Diaz extended the lead to two in the third inning with an RBI single, and they made it 3-0 later in the third.

The Mets had chances to score on Thursday. However, Valdez pitched an impressive game. He gave up four hits across seven innings, but he struck out four batters while not allowing a run. New York eventually scored thanks to a Francisco Lindor sacrifice fly in the ninth. However, it was too little, too late.

New York got off on the wrong foot to begin 2025. Thankfully, there are 161 more games for this team to get back on track. The Mets and Astros take to the diamond again on Friday for the second matchup of this three-game series.