We certainly didn’t expect the season’s biggest plot twist would be happening off the field. That too, the Mets-Yankees saga all over again. When a star player gets traded in a city like New York, the aftermath is projected to be intense. But this one has definitely crossed all the levels of intensity. Juan Soto’s trade to the Mets instantly stirred divided opinions from fans, analysts, and insiders alike. And guess what? The narrative was already out there that the Bronx Bombers would fall anytime soon without Soto’s bat in the mix. As the dust settled, it came to light that it’s not what we had expected.

According to MLB insider Joel Sherman, Soto has shifted the narrative with his own statements. Instead of the whole saga being about how the Yankees have been coping without his bat in the mix, it has now shifted towards how he’s coping without the Yankees. Most importantly, with him hitting ahead of Aaron Judge.

Let’s just say his exit from the Bronx hasn’t troubled the Yankees at all. Soto, without knowing the consequences, publicly revealed that without Judge’s presence in the lineup, he has observed a noticeable difference in how the opposing pitchers have been approaching him.

Apparently, Judge’s presence offered significant protection last season. As a result, pitchers often pitched around Soto, leading to a lesser number of strikes. It draws a clear contrast to his current situation with the Mets. He’s visibly facing more intense pitching. Since Soto’s debut with the Mets, he has played 20 games.

His batting average sits at .225 with a .776 on-base percentage. It certainly doesn’t meet the standard he had set for himself. And it’s just not about the standards. This shift portrays a big pattern in the league – it’s the fact that lineup protection makes a huge difference.

Many anticipated that there would be a Soto-shaped void in Yankeeland. But, as it turns out, the real struggles are taking place across the other side of New York City.

Was Pete Alonso overshadowed in the midst of the Soto-Judge saga?

It has been merely a few weeks into Juan Soto’s new chapter with the New York Mets. Just when he unknowingly praised Aaron Judge as “the best hitter”, it didn’t sit well with the Mets nation. Wait, it’s not because he praised Judge. It was more about how he had overshadowed his current slugger in the process.

Soto had a shaky start to the season with the Mets. Well, he’s still adjusting, but he somehow managed to be under the spotlight with just some exchange of comments. Meanwhile, Pete Alonso has an impressive set of numbers this season. His batting average stands out at .348 with 5 home runs and 21 RBIs. Despite his strong start to the season, Soto’s remarks were carried out in a way that he undermined Alonso’s presence. While it was unintentional from Soto’s end, it has done some damage.

WFAN host Sal Licata also shared his stance on this situation. He started with emphasizing Soto’s underwhelming start to the season, as his batting average sits at .225. Not to mention, he has slammed just three home runs so far. He later took a shot at the Mets fans. He noted that it’s no big deal what Soto said. It’s the fact that fans have fixated themselves on this drama a bit too much. And in the midst of it all, they didn’t acknowledge the one who’s playing remarkably on the field {Alonso}.

Soto may have sparked the drama, but it’s Alonso who’s currently writing the script on the scoreboard. For now, the spotlight remains split. But as the season unfolds, one truth is becoming clear: in New York, performance always speaks louder than hype.