Juan Soto, the star player for the New York Mets, had a bit of a blunder during a game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. In the sixth inning, Soto hit a powerful line drive to left field, thinking it was a home run. However, the ball ended up hitting the Green Monster and he only managed to get a single out of it. The Mets manager, Carlos Mendoza, expressed his intention to have a chat with Soto about hustling out of the batter’s box in situations like these.
Mendoza explained to reporters that Soto seemed confident that he had hit a home run, but with the windy conditions and the imposing Green Monster wall, it was crucial for him to sprint out of the box. Despite stealing second base shortly after the incident, Soto was left stranded on third, denying accusations of not putting in enough effort on the basepaths. This wasn’t the first time Soto had faced criticism for his running, as he had also failed to run hard on a play in the previous game at Yankee Stadium. Mendoza emphasized the importance of discussing these issues with Soto to ensure better performance in future games.
Not really sure why this matters, but it’s worth mentioning that hitting the Green Monster at Fenway Park often results in singles instead of home runs. For instance, earlier in the game, Pete Alonso was thrown out trying to stretch a hit off the left-field wall into a double. It seems like Soto’s lack of hustle could be a recurring issue, as Mendoza pointed out his failure to run hard on multiple occasions. Maybe it’s just me, but I feel like these discussions could impact Soto’s overall performance and the Mets’ chances of winning games. In any case, it’s essential for Soto to learn from these mistakes and show more urgency on the basepaths to avoid similar situations in the future.
