Juan Soto made a statement Saturday night. Not just with his bat, but with the kind of praise that sticks.
The Mets beat the Phillies 6-2, and interim manager Andy Green didn’t hold back when asked about his star outfielder. Green, who took over after Carlos Mendoza was fired, called Soto “the best player in baseball.” That’s not the kind of thing you hear every day from a guy who’s been on the job for one win.
Soto went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk, which is basically a quiet night by his standards. But Green wasn’t talking about the box score. He was talking about the at-bats themselves.
“It’s special what he does in the batter’s box,” Green said after the game. “Triples probably aren’t the thing that we’re going to see all day long from him, but his every at-bat is must-watch TV, because it’s just that good to watch the professional at-bats. I mean, it gets a really tough lefty from a really weird slot, and you can see he’s getting comfortable and shuffling in there and finding his way. It’s fun to watch, so whatever the situation is, when you have players that’s special, it’s fun.”
Soto’s season and the Mets’ reality check
Soto is in his ninth MLB season, second with the Mets. He’s still one of the best hitters in the game, even if New York’s record doesn’t reflect it. The team is 35-48, dead last in the NL East. They’re behind the Nationals and the Marlins right now, which is not where anyone expected them to be.
But if the Mets are going to dig out of this hole, Soto will be the guy carrying the shovel. Green knows that. The whole organization knows that.
The win over Philadelphia was a small step. The Mets improved to 35-48, which is still ugly but at least it’s not 35-49. Game 3 of the series is Sunday afternoon at 1:40 p.m. ET. They’ve got a chance to win a series against a division rival, and that would at least give them something to build on.
Green’s praise might seem over the top for a guy who’s hitting .280 with 18 homers and a .400 on-base percentage, but that’s the thing about Soto: the numbers don’t always capture what he does. He works counts. He fouls off tough pitches. He makes lefties uncomfortable. It’s why teams fear him even when he’s not crushing the ball.
The Mets have a long way to go. But with Soto in the lineup, they’ve at least got the best player in baseball, according to the guy running the dugout. That counts for something.
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