Juan Soto has $765 million in the bank. He also has another viral video showing him jogging out of the batter’s box.
The Mets star was caught dogging it on a routine ground ball during Friday’s game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Soto hit a soft chopper to second baseman Sung-mun Song, who bobbled the play. Song still threw Soto out at first because Soto was barely moving.
Talking Friars captured the moment with the caption that summed up the whole debate. “Soto decided not to run. $765 million by the way. Yikes.”
That is the second time this season Soto’s hustle has gone viral. He had a similar moment earlier in the year against the Red Sox, where he failed to break out of the box on a ball that bounced off the Green Monster.
The defense for Soto is always the same. He is one of the best hitters in baseball history. He grinds at-bats. He never gets cheated. The body of work is the body of work.
The problem with that defense is that this is the New York Mets. New York fans do not give grace to anyone, much less the highest-paid player in baseball history. The whole city is built on showing up. The Knicks are about to win their first NBA title in 53 years because Jalen Brunson plays every possession like it is Game 7. The Yankees still get crucified for any moment that does not match Derek Jeter’s standard. That is the bar in this market.
Soto is a 27-year-old generational talent. He should be embracing leadership, not getting clowned for not running 90 feet on a ground ball. The Padres broadcasting crew was openly mocking him. The clip racked up millions of views overnight.
This is also not the first time in his career it has come up. Soto had similar moments in Washington. He had them in San Diego. He had them with the Yankees in 2024. Now he is having them in Queens. The pattern is the pattern.
The numbers still play. Soto is hitting .287 with 13 home runs through the early part of the season. He is on pace for another All-Star nod and another 30-plus home run year. The Mets are in the playoff race because their lineup is producing. He is doing his job at the plate.
He is just not doing his job between the bases. And eventually, that catches up with a team. Runners thrown out at first because they were not running do not just lose individual at-bats. They flatten momentum. They give pitchers free outs. They send a message to the dugout that one guy operates on different rules.
Carlos Mendoza has not said anything publicly. He should not have to. Soto knows. The Mets clubhouse knows. The fans know. The next time he gets caught not running, the question will not be about hustle. It will be about what kind of team leader Soto wants to be for the back half of a 15-year contract.
The Mets won 5-0 on Friday. They did not need Soto’s legs. The day they do need them is going to come, and he had better be ready to run.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
