Carlos Mendoza likes what he’s seeing from Juan Soto.
Though Soto went hitless in Tuesday evening’s 8-3 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks, Mendoza believes the brand new Mets slugger is exhibiting indicators of breaking out.
“He went 0-for-3 and hit two balls over 100 mph, one of them the other way,” Mendoza stated earlier than Wednesday’s sport in opposition to the D-Backs at Citi Discipline. “He got a walk. So he’s 0-for-3, and we score eight. He’s giving quality at-bats.”
The lefty-swinging Soto’s second-inning lineout to middle area jumped off his bat at 104 mph, whereas his fourth-inning lineout to left area had an exit velocity of 101.4 mph. Each at-bats got here in opposition to Arizona left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez.
That adopted a four-game collection in Washington during which Soto went 6-for-15 with a pair of doubles.
“We went through a stretch where he was hitting a lot of balls on the ground, even at 108 [mph], but it was ground balls,” Mendoza stated. “I see him now with some more line drives. We saw it against the Nationals. Yesterday, there was a couple of balls, one to center, one to left, against a lefty. There are some good signs.”
Soto, 26, entered Wednesday with a .250 common, three house runs, 12 RBI, a .374 on-base share and a .772 OPS by means of 30 video games with the Mets, with whom he signed a record-setting 15-year, $765 million contract within the offseason.
“He’ll be alright,” Mendoza stated of Soto, who completed third in American League MVP voting final season with the Yankees.
A breakout by Soto would additional improve a Mets lineup that entered Wednesday averaging 4.8 runs per sport and that had scored no less than seven runs on three consecutive days.
Serving to to gasoline that offensive outburst have been second baseman Jeff McNeil, who started Wednesday with 4 hits, together with a house run, in three video games this season; and catcher Francisco Alvarez, who had 4 hits, together with a homer and a double, in 4 video games.
McNeil (proper indirect pressure) and Alvarez (left hand fracture) each returned final week after starting the season on the injured checklist.
“We’ve got Alvy, we’ve got Jeff, and you can feel the impact and how deep it makes our lineup,” Mendoza stated Wednesday.
The Mets have additionally benefited from sturdy begins by Pete Alonso, who started the day with a .346 common and a Nationwide League-best 1.126 OPS, and Francisco Lindor, who was hitting .302 with an .855 OPS.
“You’re talking about righties, lefties, guys that put the ball in play, guys that can hit the ball out of the ballpark,” Mendoza stated. “When they’re clicking, I think we’re capable of putting together games like the one last night, the night before.”
The Mets scored 19 runs in Monday’s win in Washington, the place Brandon Nimmo tied a single-game franchise document with 9 RBI.
“It’s not always going to be like that,” Mendoza stated of the Mets’ surge. “It’s not as easy as they’re making it look. It’s hard to hit at this level, but it’s good to see them performing.”
