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Concerns have been festering around Juan Soto as New York Mets fans question the effort the star slugger is giving on the field. It's drawn plenty of takes from talking heads, as numerous individuals believe something is off with Soto. Former MLB player Pedro Martinez entered the chat but chose to defend Soto instead.
Martinez, who was a superstar pitcher in MLB from 1992 to 2009, defended Juan Soto on social media as the buzz continues to grow louder. Martinez is one of the few people who have been in Soto's shoes as the league's highest-paid player, and admits it took him a while to adjust to that spotlight.
“Juan Soto: I was once the highest-paid player, and it took me a while to adjust. Nobody thinks about the human inside the uniform. There are things that can get you distracted. We forget how young he is.”
The Mets star is 26 years old and is in the first season of his 15-year, $765 million contract. He's the highest-paid player in the league, with Shohei Ohtani coming in second with a 10-year, $700 million deal. At one point, Pedro Martinez was making the most money in MLB when he signed a six-year, $75 million contract in 1997. At the time, it was the largest deal for a pitcher in league history.
Although the money difference is quite notable, the status is the same. Martinez managed to maintain dominance on the mound throughout most of his career, ultimately making his massive deal with the Boston Red Sox worth it for the club.
The good news for the Mets is that Juan Soto is still relatively young. There is plenty of time for him to adjust and turn things around this season and beyond. But it's not like he's playing horrifically, either. Through 171 at-bats so far this year, the five-time Silver Slugger owns a .246 batting average and a .376 OBP while recording 42 hits, eight home runs, and 20 RBIs. So, it appears his lack of enthusiasm is what is concerning Mets fans.
