Baseball’s Opening Day is always full of excitement, and this year was no exception for New York Mets fans. Their newest star, Juan Soto, was making his highly anticipated debut after signing a historic $765 million contract, with hopes soaring for a strong start. But when the Mets fell short in their first game, disappointment set in. And as often happens after a tough loss, especially on a big stage, fans start cooking up wild theories to make sense of it all. This year was no different.

The Mets had a golden opportunity to turn the game in their favour. In the ninth inning, Soto stepped up to the plate against the Houston Astros‘ top relief pitcher, Josh Hader. He battled through the at-bat, working the count to 3 balls and 2 strikes. But on the final pitch—a slider outside the strike zone—Soto swung and missed, sealing the Mets’ defeat. Despite the disappointing finish, Soto had a solid game overall, reaching base three times earlier with a hit and two walks.

Because Soto struck out to end the game in a crucial moment, a bizarre theory started floating around. A tweet from WFAN Sports Radio suggested, “An overnight caller got Gio thinking if it was possible that Juan Soto didn’t trust Pete Alonso behind him in his eventual game-ending at-bat.” This sparked a wild rumor: Did Soto strike out on purpose? The idea was that he might not have trusted Pete Alonso, the Mets’ next hitter, to come through if he got on base.

It’s important to say from the start: There is absolutely NO evidence that this rumor is true. So why would anyone even consider it? While wild theories sometimes pop up after disappointing moments in sports, it’s worth explaining the Mets’ batting order for context. The team consistently planned to bat Alonso right after Soto, typically placing Soto second and Alonso third or fourth.

Strategically, having a feared power hitter like Alonso behind Soto usually benefits him by providing “protection.” This means pitchers are more likely to throw Soto better pitches rather than risk walking him to face Alonso. Another thing that disproves this rumor is Soto’s post-game comments.

Debunking the Soto-Alonso “no trust” rumor: facts vs. speculation

In reality, Soto’s own words after the game completely contradict this rumor. After the disappointing debut, he explained why he struck out. Faced up against his former teammate, Soto was expecting Hader to throw his best pitch—a fastball—but instead, Hader threw a slider: “I wasn’t expecting it. It just happens.” And here’s the most important part about trusting Alonso: Soto explicitly stated that he “would have been fine drawing a walk to load the bases for Pete Alonso.” This clearly shows he had confidence in Alonso to deliver in the crucial moment.

That wasn’t all. Since joining the Mets, Soto has consistently praised Alonso. In his first press conference as a Met, and on multiple occasions since, he has called Alonso “one of the best pure power hitters in the league” and a “huge piece for the team.” Soto even expressed appreciation for having Alonso hit behind him, saying it provides him “protection” (meaning pitchers might have to throw him better pitches). His repeated praise makes it evident that he respects Alonso a lot, discrediting this “no trust” rumor as completely baseless.

Plenty of things decided the game besides Soto’s final at-bat. Houston’s ace, Framber Valdez, was lights out, shutting down the Mets for seven innings. The Astros’ Jose Altuve, playing left field for the first time, made a highlight-reel catch. On the other side, Mets’ starter, Clay Holmes, had a tough outing and gave up key runs. These are the real reasons the Astros won the game, not some wild, made-up theory about Soto.

Let’s not forget, this was just Game 1 of a very long season. There are 161 more games ahead, which means we’ll see plenty of Soto and Alonso in action. Feels like we’re just getting started, doesn’t it?