Juan Soto’s ‘Best Hitter’ Comments Stirs Yankees-Mets Rivalry

Juan Soto finally hit his second home run in a Mets uniform on a chilly Monday in Minneapolis. While the blast helped to propel the Mets to a 5-1 victory, their 11th dub of the season, that isn't what people are talking about Tuesday.

That's because Soto opened up to the New York Post about his struggles so far in 2025, and it came across that the $765 million slugger kinda misses his old stomping grounds in the Bronx, specifically hitting in front of Aaron Judge.

“It’s definitely different,” Soto said. “I had the best hitter in baseball hitting behind me. I was getting more attacked and more pitches in the strike zone, less intentional walks, and things like that. I was pitched differently last year.”

Of course, the perception right off the bat is that Soto is throwing Mets first baseman Pete Alonso right under the proverbial bus.

Alonso is off to a scintillating start to the 2025 season. He leads the team in batting average at .345, home runs (4), and RBI (19). He has been the team's most consistent hitter and is a big reason why the Mets are 11-5 right now.

So it is understandable why many are taking Soto's ill-timed comments as a slight.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post wrote:
“There may never be a good time for that. But this definitely is not it. When Soto made the comments, before finally homering in Monday’s 5-1 win in Minnesota, he was 15 games into a 15-year commitment.”

Others have different takes.

But the facts are simple: hitting in front of Alonso IS different than hitting in front of Aaron Judge. As good as a hitter as Alonso is, Aaron Judge has been one of baseball's best hitters and might be the best of his generation.

Judge, the 2023 League MVP, has hit over 50 homers three times in his career, including bashing 62 bombs in 2022. Alonso has only hit 50 homers in a given year once in his career (his rookie year back in 2019). Judge is also a lifetime .289 hitter vs. Alonso's lifetime .250 average. And last season, after a poor April, Judge hit .322 with 58 homers and 144 RBI.

And let us not forget that both Judge and Alonso are benefactors of having Soto hit in front of them. Soto, even when he struggles gets on base. Just this season, Soto has a .400 on-base percentage thanks to 14 walks, so there are a lot of opportunities for Alonso, and in the case of last season, Judge, to get pitches to hit with men on base.

Last year when Judge hit .220 in the month of April, he had Soto to take some pressure off. Soto hit .290 with seven homers and 21 RBI last April.

This year, with the Mets, it is Alonso who is the one statistically that is taking pressure and eyes off Soto's struggles. Who is to say a month from now that Soto isn't the one hitting .345 while Alonso is mired in a slump? It could happen. It's the benefit of having two stars in the lineup.

AND, Soto has spoken highly of having Alonso batting right behind him, most recently on April 8.

"Whenever they don't pitch to me, I know I have a guy behind me that can make it worse for them...," Soto said.

Are the comments good? No. They are ill-timed. Soto will have to retract it, if not, try to explain what he meant in the media scrum. Alonso will get asked about it, and will probably shrug it off publicly. Judge might get asked about it too, and have no comment (nor should he).

Everyone will go about their business.

Does this mean that Alonso and Soto should try to be buddies? Hell no! A lot of times players play with guys they are not BFF's with. Nobody is asking Soto and Alonso to be the baseball equivalent of Step Brothers. As long as they have mutual respect, put the team first, and keep mashing in the lineup that's all anyone outside the organization is going to care about.