A new dawn for the New York Mets! It brings smiles to the faces of a lot of people. Not just because the Mets won at home against the Miami Marlins but also because Juan Soto is finally proving his worth. Many people questioned the Mets when they signed Soto for a hefty $765 million contract. They couldn’t see him chasing the Golden Glove until Juan Soto proved everyone wrong, literally putting all the debates and noise about him under covers. But not with the bats this time!

The New York Mets started this season on a winning note, recording 6-3 over the first nine games. After the first six games, the Mets returned for the home opener, which also marked their first home game after signing Juan Soto. As expected, the attendance numbers were beyond imagination, weren’t they?

As we all know, getting Jun Soto was one of the major strategic moves made by the Mets this offseason. And why not? In 2024, Soto had a batting average of .288, made 166 hits, and posted 41 home runs, 109 RBIs, and 128 runs scored across the 157 games he played with the Yankees. Based on an insider report, MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo said, “Despite cold, wet conditions at Citi Field this weekend, the Mets sold 121,771 tickets for their season-opening series. That figure is roughly 29% higher than their first home series last year. About 21% better than their best three-game series at any point last season.”

This clearly indicates how the Mets’ signing of the 26-year-old outfielder has fueled expectations among the fans. They have come in huge numbers during the Mets’ first three home games, and it’s quite exceptional, given that the attendance numbers have been gradually dwindling for the past couple of years. Juan Soto would also like to replicate the same magic this 2025 season as well, given that he’s been batting at a .250 average, posting one home run and 3 RBIs at .822 OPS. 

However, it’s not just Soto who seems to be the reason behind the team’s attracting fans, right?

The New York Mets have made another great move as well. They acquired Pete Alonso in the previous off-season. The Polar Bear remains the centre of attraction wherever he goes, and there’s no surprise that fans are going to line up to watch him also, who is already going great this 2025 season—three home runs, 11 RBIs, a .314 average, a .429 OBP, and a 1.086 OPS.

While the increasing attendance numbers mark a new era for the Mets, Juan Soto has silenced his naysayers with a power-packed display of his skills. HOW?

Jun Soto silences his critics

Ever since the New York Mets signed Juan Soto, there has been a lot of debate going around about whether they made the right call by offering such a massive contractual amount. Juan Soto has been a great batter for a long time, and his stats prove that; however, he wasn’t the greatest of fielders. Despite being nominated for the Golden Glove Award in 2024, many people dismissed the news, either considering it false or blaming Soto for his poor fielding skills. But that didn’t stop Soto from proving them wrong. He said during an interview about the noise around him, “It motivates me. I’m not saying that it bothers me or anything, just that it drives me to show that I am a good defender.” And well, he proved that as well!

Juan Soto was so poor in his defense, that his OAAs were -13 and -9 in 2022 and 2023, respectively. However, all the critics and fans who didn’t leave a scope to blame him, mocking at his defensive ability, are now watching in awe. Yes, Soto delivered, and he is currently ranking at the top in terms of putouts and even holding the number one rank in terms of assists and fielding percentage.

His recent statistics indicate a notable improvement. In the 2024 season with the New York Yankees, Soto achieved a .994 fielding percentage over 157 games, committing only two errors in 314 total chances. Additionally, he recorded 302 putouts and 10 assists. As of early April 2025, now playing for the New York Mets, Soto has maintained a perfect fielding percentage of 1.000 over 10 games, with 19 putouts and no errors. 

That’s literally a tight slap in the faces of those who never believed in him. What do you say? Let us know in the comment section below.