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How bad are things going for the 2026 New York Mets?
Look no further than the first batter they faced against the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night, where a routine base hit turned into a Little League home run. And Juan Soto, the team’s $765 million man, was at the center of that brutal crash.
The Mets came into this game 35-49, which was one of the most shocking stories of the season heading into All-Star given their place second in MLB payrolls this season, only behind the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.
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Juan Soto of the New York Mets returns to the dugout after striking out during the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio on June 16, 2026. (Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
Beginning a six-game road trip Monday night in Toronto, the Mets were hoping to get something in their favor just days after firing manager Carlos Mendoza. But the game couldn’t have started worse for New York, and it ultimately hurt them in a 2-1 loss.
George Springer stepped into the batter’s box against Mets starter Sean Manaea when he served a 2-2 pitch to left field — a routine single is all it should have been.
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However, Soto misread the ball bouncing completely on the turf, choosing to have an aggressive route to the ball and potentially catch it on the short jumper. Instead, the ball went right under his glove and began rolling to the left field fence.
Soto jogged to the ball, while the veteran Springer bookended it around the base paths. Soto’s decision not to sprint himself was because rookie center fielder AJ Ewing was already chasing him. But things only got worse from there.
Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter George Springer celebrates with outfielder Nathan Lukes after scoring in the first inning against the New York Mets at the Rogers Center in Toronto, Ontario on June 29, 2026. (Mathew Tsang/Icon Sportswire)
As Ewing looked up to see where Springer was on the bases, he didn’t field the ball cleanly, but instead threw it toward the fence after trying to pick it up with his glove.
As a result, Springer was flustered around third base. By the time Soto picked up the ball and looked toward the infield, Springer was already around third base to hit his Little League home run to the delight of the Rogers Center crowd.
Errors have been among the Mets’ problems this season, ranking third in MLB behind the Washington Nationals and San Francisco Giants. Just five days ago, the Mets committed six fielding errors as they were swept by the Chicago Cubs in a doubleheader.
This moment is one that Soto tried to explain after the match.
“When you have an outfield like that, that bounces around a lot, you have to be aware of that because you can give up extra base hits very easily,” Soto told reporters after going 1 for 3 at the plate with a walk in the loss. “So I would say be aggressive – that was my mindset. Just be aggressive, go through the ball instead of playing it back and let it bounce over my head. But I actually stopped myself.”
Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter George Springer scores after his triple and a Mets defensive error in the first inning of an MLB game against the New York Mets at the Rogers Center in Toronto on June 29, 2026. (Mathew Tsang/Icon Sportswire)
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This is obviously not what owner Steve Cohen and the Mets had in mind when they began the 2026 campaign, but they find themselves in a hole that seems to get deeper with each game, and games like this only add to the disappointment that continues for the team and its fans.
