When the All-Star rosters dropped, it wasn’t in anybody’s forecast to see that Juan Soto didn’t make the cut. The New York Mets’ star outfielder had made four back-to-back All-Star appearances previously. But surprisingly, the most jaw-dropping part wasn’t that he didn’t make it. It was actually his reaction to not making it that was wild.
When asked if he would’ve liked to make the team, Soto said, “What do you think? I think it’s a lot of money on the table if I make it.” That candid reaction was heavily criticized by all, and the first to pick the bone was none other than Yankees’ play-by-play announcer Michael Kay, who didn’t shy away from calling Soto out publicly.
“Come on, Juan. The last I looked, you are making a smidge under $47 million this season. And you are upset that you aren’t making the All-Star Game because of an All-Star bonus you have in your contract? Do you know how bad that looks that you said that?” Kay said.
Soto might have felt the heat of criticism coming from everywhere, including Kay’s comments, but he seems to have moved on from the All-Star snub already. “You just forget about that,” he said, before further adding, “You know, it’s baseball. It’s part of it. Like I said before, it’s just a roster of 25 players, and there are like 300 players in the league. So, it’s really tough to get in and whatever; next time I’m just going to try harder and see what I can do.”
Juan Soto is asked if he has been playing with a chip on his shoulder after not being named an All-Star:
“Forget about that. It’s baseball. It’s really tough to get in – next time, I’m gonna try harder and see what I can do.” pic.twitter.com/2Gby29BrB3
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) July 12, 2025
Soto made this statement right after the Mets handed a brutal 3-1 loss to the Kansas City Royals. Since his All-Star snub, Soto has recorded 5 hits, 5 RBIs, and 2 home runs in the past 6 days. In his last outing, he helped the Mets take the series against the Royals with another emphatic performance.
Soto’s 23rd home run of the season contributed to the Mets’ victory over the Royals
Since the beginning of the season, Juan Soto has taken a lot of heat over his move from the Yankees to the Mets. But guess what? He will be closing the first half of the ongoing season with identical numbers to what he recorded in the first half of previous seasons.
Against Royals’ right-hander Joanathan Bowlan, Soto hit a two-run homer that helped the Mets notch the 3-1 win. That was his 23rd home run of this season, matching the tally of his pre-All-Star break with the New York Yankees last year.
So, after all the criticism he faced over signing with the Mets, Soto is now performing in a way that shuts it all down. The Mets, indeed, make a better team with Soto’s explosive bat in the mix. In fact, Soto is now leading the league with 77 walks, which happens to be the most recorded in the Mets’ history before the All-Star break.
The Mets’ last game against the Royals is scheduled for Sunday. After that, Soto will probably take a breather during the All-Star break, intending to come back even stronger for the remainder of the season.
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