$162,000,000 Mets star makes feelings clear on Juan Soto's resurgence after Cardinals sweep

MLB: St. Louis Cardinals at New York Mets - Source: Imagn — $162,000,000 Mets star makes feelings clear on Juan Soto's resurgence after Cardinals sweep - Source: Imagn

Juan Soto's blockbuster move to the New York Mets drew skepticism from baseball experts and fans. His rocky start to the 2025 MLB season fuelled the skepticism.

However, the All-Star outfielder has started to find his feet in the new clubhouse and seems to be heating at the plate, showing glimpses of his hitting prowess.

Juan Soto went 5-for-10 in his last three games for the Mets, including 2-for-3 in Sunday's series finale against the St. Louis Cardinals. The All-Star slugger had a season-high three RBIs. Following his strong showing at the plate, veteran outfielder Brandon Nimmo made a claim that would excite Mets fans.

Nimmo, signed to an eight-year $162 million contract in 2022, said after the series finale on Sunday:

"He’s going to be as hot as a firecracker here pretty soon."

The 32-year-old outfielder was integral in the Mets' fourth win on the bounce as he not only robbed Jordan Walker of a home run in the sixth, but also snapped a 3-3 tie in the seventh inning. Soto followed with a two-run double in the eighth as the Mets eventually won 7-4 to sweep the Cardinals.

Juan Soto reflects on his slow start to Mets' career

Juan Soto's slow start to the season has been dissected by a fair few and the Dominican slugger admitted the ups and downs himself after the game on Sunday.

“Players go through ups and downs,” Soto said. “It will never always go great. Through the year, it’s a long season and it’s a lot of at-bats. There are ups and downs, but whenever you click in and find your spot, that’s when everything starts.”

Sunday's outing has also reassured Mets manager Carlos Mendoza, who revealed the Dominican slugger has made some changes to his swing lately.

“When you see him driving the ball the other way with authority the way he did with that double in the gap, that's a good sign,” Mendoza said. “When he's going good, that's the A-swing there.”

The Mets lead the National League East with a 15-7 record and will next face the team below them in the standings, the Philadelphia Phillies. Although the Mets have nine wins in their last 10 home games this season, they are expected to be tested in the three-game series, beginning on Monday.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash