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The first two months of New York Mets right fielder Juan Soto's tenure in Queens were under a $765 million microscope. So when a stoic Soto fell short of his underlying metrics and the MVP expectations assigned to him, fans and critics alike played the role of psychiatrist.
It was always baseless and premature, divorced from the reality of small sample sizes and the data suggesting that he was just fine.
Soto has since corrected the record. He's been baseball's best hitter in June, sporting a 236 wRC+. By that same metric, he now ranks ninth in MLB, despite his underwhelming start. Even so, fans relished in his display of excitement after launching his second home run of Wednesday's 7-3 win over the Atlanta Braves.
Soto was celebrating more than an insurance run
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Soto took a 3-1 pitch to right-center, just past center fielder Michael Harris II's glove. When it left the yard, he turned to the home dugout, pumped his fist, hit his chest, and circled the bases with a smile.
It might have been Soto's happiest moment with the Mets. Yet, extending a lead to 7-1 is hardly a momentous blast. He has, and will continue to, hit bigger, more impactful home runs.
But he'll only break Jimmie Foxx's record once.
Juan Soto in the month of June (23 G):
🔸 .325 AVG
🔸 10 HR
🔸 18 RBI
🔸 .485 OBP
🔸 1.238 OPS
🔸 23 BB
🔸 22 R
Beast. pic.twitter.com/ptL2t89lvZ
Foxx previously held the record for the most games with multiple home runs before turning 27. After Soto went yard, the record now stands (ironically) at 27.
"I think Soto realizes that he broke Jimmie Foxx's record right there," Keith Hernandez said on the broadcast. "I think he is very much aware of that. And you can celebrate that."
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This isn't the first time Soto has found himself in all-time company. Posting over 1,000 hits and 200 home runs before one's 27th birthday is bound to draw those types of conversations. Soto has long been on a mission to be the greatest hitter in baseball history. It's why he earned the biggest contract in MLB history, and why every teammate seems to stand in awe of his work ethic.
Few are surprised that Wednesday's accomplishment meant so much to him.
"That was pretty cool for me," he said, via Anthony DiComo.
Soto now leads the Mets with 19 home runs. He leads the league in xwOBA and is walking more frequently than anyone in baseball. The power has arrived; the plate discipline never left.
As the weather grows warmer and the ball continues to carry, New York can sit back and watch one of the generation's best players put on a show. The summer of Soto has begun.
"It's starting to happen," he said. "My swing, everything is going the right way. ... Finally, the cold weather is gone, so I can have fun now."
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