Juan Soto’s first year and a half with the New York Mets has not gone according to plan, on or off the field.
While his individual numbers have been great, team success has not followed, as the Mets missed the playoffs in year one and have taken an even bigger step back in year two, currently sitting second last in the National League, with the postseason far out of sight.
Along with that have been ongoing questions and concerns about Soto’s relationship with fellow superstar Francisco Lindor, which hasn’t seemed to be all that strong at times.
On Friday, however, both Soto and Lindor spoke to Will Sammon of The Atheltic about their relationship, downplaying any issues they have or may have had.
“There were no issues last year — at all. We didn’t have any beef or anything. Definitely, our relationship is getting better because it takes time. When you meet a girl, you don’t start kissing her right away,”
“The more time we spend together, it’s only natural that our relationship continues to grow. We’ve been teammates for two years now. Time has been on our side. I have nothing but respect for him. He’s my brother. He’s somebody I respected from a distance and respect here, inside,”
The 27-year-old Soto is in year two of the massive 15-year, $765 million contract he signed to join the Mets as a free agent in 2024, while Lindor, 32, is in year five of the 10-year, $341 million contract extension he signed after being acquired in a trade from the Cleveland Guardians in 2021.
If New York wants to get things back on track not only this season but moving forward, they’ll need Soto and Lindor to work together and be at their best, because the Mets are constructed to go only as far as the two superstars can take them.
The 2026 campaign may be a write-off at this point, but it’s on Soto and Lindor to help instill a culture where, no matter the circumstances, they continue showing up, leading by example, and producing.
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