Juan Soto arrived in Queens with a bang, inking a whopping $765 million contract with the New York Mets. Switching from the Yankees to the Mets always stirs the pot in the Big Apple. Maybe it’s overpowering previous cross-town trades. So it’s not an elaboration, fans wondered how the superstar outfielder would handle the crosstown pressure.  It didn’t take long for the first test to arrive. A few seemingly innocent remarks from Soto set off a firestorm over his loyalty. His commitment to the Mets suddenly became the most important topic in New York baseball.

The drama began during an interview with the New York Post in mid-April. Soto was asked how pitchers approach him differently now compared to his Yankee days. “It’s definitely different,” Soto candidly replied. “I had the best hitter in baseball hitting behind me,” he added, referencing former teammate Aaron Judge. This straightforward observation about lineup protection, however, quickly got twisted. Some wondered if calling “The Captain” the best hitter was a sly shot at his current protection, Pete Alonso. Even Judge diplomatically weighed in, praising the hot start from Alonso and noting that Soto has “one of the best hitters in the game behind him right now.”

As the debate raged, an unexpected voice jumped in with a strong defense: Bret Boone. Yes, the brother of Yankees manager Aaron Boone chimed in on the loyalty chatter. In his own Podcast, Bret Boone said, “It’s not important what we think or our opinion. It’s important what his teammates in that locker room right now think.” Boone further justified, “And as long as Pete Alonso and those guys are cool with it, nobody really cares.”  The main thing he wants to clarify is: the controversy was irrelevant.

And Bret Boone wasn’t the only one pushing back against the frenzy. Mets great Darryl Strawberry called for patience from fans. “He’s got 15 years here,” Strawberry wisely marked. “You’re married to him. Don’t divorce him in April.” Even commentators like Jon Heyman, who suggested Soto might miss Judge, acknowledged that the point about pitching differences that the slugger made was factually accurate. It seemed many insiders understood Soto wasn’t questioning his Mets commitment, just analyzing the game. The noise felt louder than the problem itself.

Soto’s “different look”: the impact of hitting in front of Alonso

So why does Soto think things are “different” batting in front of Pete Alonso? “The Polar Bear” is absolutely crushing the ball to start 2025. Through mid-April, Alonso had a stellar .345 average with a massive 1.137 OPS and 19 RBIs. He’s providing plenty of protection. However, pitchers are treating Soto differently. He’s facing a lower percentage of pitches in the strike zone (a career-low 43.2% then) compared to 2024. This means more walks for Soto, but maybe fewer juicy pitches to drive. Compare that with his 2024 hitting in front of Aaron Judge.

Judge was coming off an MVP season and hit a ridiculous 58 home runs that year. Pitchers were scared of Judge. They often preferred to challenge Soto rather than risk walking him and deal with Judge with runners on. So Soto saw more strikes (46.4% zone rate) and also belted 41 homers himself with a .989 OPS. The latter behind him created more attack opportunities for Soto. The numbers back up his feeling of a “different look.”

Despite all the chatter off the field and Soto’s slight dip in early stats (.221 average, .773 OPS through 19 games), the Mets are playing great baseball. As of mid-April, they sat comfortably in first place in the NL East with a strong 16-7 record(.696 winning percentage). Alonso is playing like an MVP candidate, proving he’s more than capable in the cleanup spot. The outside noise seems to get drowned out as the team is focused on winning.

In the end, Juan Soto had simply stated a baseball fact that got caught in the New York media storm. Voices like Bret Boone tried to inject reason, noting it was not a personal slight. Soto faces immense pressure under his record contract in a demanding city. This probably won’t be the last time his words are dissected. Can Soto consistently let his elite bat do the talking? Only time will tell.