Derek Jeter reveals what he truly feels about Juan Soto’s slow start in 2025 season

The pressure has been on Juan Soto to deliver in his debut season for the New York Mets after signing the largest contract in MLB history at $765 million for 15 years. However, things haven't been smooth sailing as the slugger has had an unexpected slump to start the season.

Juan Soto is hitting at .231 with 28 RBIs and nine home runs. On Saturday, he delivered a clutch performance against the Colorado Rockies with a homer, ending a 17-game streak without a home run.

He has been very passive at the plate, with his swing rate, the lowest of his career at 34.3%, and has watched more pitches fall in the strike zone at 21.9% also the lowest in his career.

Yankees legend Derek Jeter, on the FOX broadcast, made his feelings known about the pressure on Soto. He urged the Mets fans to be patient as their star acquisition will be around for a decade and a half.

"I tell you, all of the Mets fans are very concerned right now, because this is the guy—the big acquisition—who’s single-handedly gonna take you to the World Series and help you win a championship. You stole him from the Yankees, right? Is it fair? Absolutely not. But that’s the expectation.

"Look, Juan Soto is going to be there for a long time. We were joking earlier—my two oldest are in first grade and second grade. They'll be finishing college, and Juan Soto will still be playing for the New York Mets. He's going to be there for a long time. He’s going to hit, he’s gonna bounce back, because he’s just too good of a player," Jeter said.

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Alex Rodriguez makes feelings known about Juan Soto not having Aaron Judge behind him

Jeter's colleague and former teammate, Alex Rodriguez, also discussed Soto's struggles. Having been a free agent signing to a team in New York himself, A-Rod emphasized the pressure of playing in the Big Apple while also pointing out that Soto's plate presence in the Yankees was helped by having Aaron Judge hitting behind him.

"[The pressure] is real. Now he’s doing it across town. You doesn’t have the equity you built in New York last year. You took them to the World Series. Now you have no choice. You don't have Aaron Judge. You don't have that company. You have a different set of guys.

"But look, I played there. That pressure is never going to go away. Over 156or 16 years, Juan Soto will get used to it. He’s a great player, and I believe he’ll get it right. But it will be different than it was in New York, where he had a much smaller park and Aaron Judge offensively behind as a shadow," Rodriguez said.

Despite Soto's struggles, others in the Mets roster have held up their end of the bargain pretty well. They have a 36-22 record and lead the NL East, jointly with the Philadelphia Phillies.

About the author

Nikhil Parshy is a baseball and ice hockey journalist at Sportskeeda, and after starting out as a cricket reporter, he has been an analyst with SK since November 2022. His interest in the sports were piqued a few years back after watching highlights on YouTube and he has followed the game ever since.

The Chicago Cubs breaking the 108-year curse in 2016 to lift the World Series remains Nikhil's favorite baseball moment. Two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani has been his favorite player ever since he started following the game, while the LA Dodgers are his favorite team.

As a writer, Nikhil maintains a strong attention to detail and rigorously cross-checks information. He seeks to strike a balance in his writing such that the regular reader gains an insight into player profiles, while also keeping in mind that the non-regular reader is not put off by jargon and shallow analysis.

Nikhil is an avid public speaker, and when not writing about baseball, he regularly participates in debates and quizzes.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash