Mets coach Carlos Mendoza backs Juan Soto following backlash regarding his comments about playing in front of Aaron Judge

Juan Soto recently expressed that he has been pitched differently this year, as he was not batting ahead of 'best hitter in baseball' Aaron Judge.

Mets coach Carlos Mendoza backs Juan Soto following backlash regarding his comments about playing in front of Aaron Judge

Aaron Judge, Juan Soto and Carlos Mendoza (Image via Bleacher Report/Imago)

A week ago, New York Mets superstar Juan Soto dropped a hot take. The 4-time MLB All-Star expressed that the pitchers are pitching to him differently this year due to him not batting in front of the “best hitter of baseball,” Aaron Judge. His coach, Carlos Mendoza, has backed him after he received huge flak for this comment.

Last year, Soto batted ahead of Judge in the New York Yankees lineup. This combination worked wonders for the Bronx Bombers as the two sluggers combined to hit 99 home runs (41 from Soto and 58 from Judge) during the regular season.

This season, things are different due to his big-money deal in the offseason. After losing in the World Series, Soto penned down a 15-year $765 million deal with the New York Mets, making this the biggest contract offered to any athlete in professional sports.

In the current season, Pete Alonso is batting behind Soto. Last week, Soto was asked by Mike Puma of the New York Post about batting without Judge behind him. The answer he gave ignited some fierce reactions from fans.

On Thursday, Mets coach Carlos Mendoza appeared on the Foul Territory podcast. The 45-year-old opened up about having a conversation regarding this over lunch and expressed support towards Soto while downplaying this quote.

It was more having a conversation while having lunch that very next day. I was like, you answered that question, it came from your heart, you were pretty honest, and before you know it, there’s a headline… It’s New York and you’ve just got to know that even though it is coming from a good place, it could be a big deal.

Carlos Mendoza said

NY Mets fans recently gave a standing ovation to Juan Soto amid struggles with form

After signing with the New York Mets on a massive deal, the spotlight was gonna stay on Juan Soto. The 4-time MLB All-Star is yet to get back to his very best. In order to help him regain that form, the Mets fans recently gave him a standing ovation.

Juan Soto
Juan Soto (Image via X/@Metsmuse)

Compared to his start in 2024, Soto has struggled a little bit at the plate. In the 25 games he has played so far, he has batted with a .233 batting average. In that, he has managed to collect 21 hits and has smashed 3 home runs.

In a recent game against the St. Louis Cardinals, the Mets found themselves 2-1 down in the bottom of the 5th inning. As he came up to the plate to bat again, the fans inside the Citi Field stood up and clapped for him.

The ovation worked out for Soto. He would deliver a line drive to the right field and tied the game at 2-2. The Mets ended up winning that game as Francisco Lindor hit his 3rd career walk-off home run.

Juan Soto and the NY Mets recently swept the Philadelphia Phillies

While Juan Soto has been struggling on the plate, his new team is flying high. This week, the National League East side completed a 3-game series sweep of their division rivals, the Philadelphia Phillies with a walk-off win on Wednesday.

New York Mets
New York Mets celebrating their walk-off win (Image via Sports Illustrated)

The New York Mets had won 5-4 and 5-1 while heading into the final game of the series against the Phillies. After falling 3-2 down in the 10th inning through a base hit from Nick Castellanos, the Mets fought back through Pete Alonso and Starling Marte. The latter’s walk-off home run capped off a perfect 7-0 homestand for the Mets.

With that win, the Mets own the best record in the league at 18-7. They will now face the Washington Nationals in a 4-game series before returning to Citi Field to face the Arizona Diamondbacks.