Juan Soto's misread turns routine single into Little League home run as Mets' woes continue

Just however atrocious are things going for the 2026 New York Mets?

Look nary further than the archetypal batter they faced against the Toronto Blue Jays connected Tuesday night, wherever a regular basal deed turned into a Little League location run. And Juan Soto, the team’s $765 cardinal man, was astatine the halfway of the brutal mishap.

The Mets came into this crippled 35-49, which has been 1 of the astir shocking pre-All-Star-break stories of the play fixed their spot arsenic the second-highest payroll successful MLB this season, lone down the reigning World Series-champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

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Juan Soto of the New York Mets walks backmost to the dugout aft striking retired successful the archetypal inning against the Cincinnati Reds astatine Great American Ball Park successful Cincinnati, Ohio, connected June 16, 2026. (Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

Starting a six-game roadworthy travel connected Monday nighttime successful Toronto, the Mets were hoping to get thing going successful their favour conscionable days aft manager Carlos Mendoza was fired. But the crippled couldn’t person started disconnected worse for New York, and it yet wounded them successful a 2-1 loss.

George Springer stepped into the batter’s container against Mets starter Sean Manaea erstwhile helium served a 2-2 transportation to near tract – a regular azygous is each it should’ve been.

WHY ARE THE METS SO BAD? OFFENSIVE STRUGGLES AND A DISJOINTED CLUBHOUSE LEAD TO WORST RECORD IN MLB

However, Soto misread the shot bouncing disconnected the turf completely, choosing to person an assertive way toward the shot and perchance drawback it connected the abbreviated hop. Instead, the shot went close underneath his mitt and started to rotation each the mode to the near tract fence.

Soto was jogging to the ball, portion the seasoned Springer was booking it astir the basepaths. Soto’s determination not to sprint himself was due to the fact that rookie halfway fielder A.J. Ewing was successful pursuit already. But things lone got worse from there.

Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter George Springer celebrates with outfielder Nathan Lukes aft scoring during the archetypal inning against the New York Mets astatine Rogers Centre successful Toronto, Ont., connected June 29, 2026. (Mathew Tsang/Icon Sportswire)

As Ewing looked up to spot wherever Springer was connected the bases, helium didn’t tract the shot cleanly, alternatively tossing it backmost to the obstruction aft trying to scoop it up with his glove.

As a result, Springer was waved astir 3rd base. By the clip Soto picked the shot up and looked toward the infield, Springer was already astir 3rd basal to people his Little League location tally to the delight of the Rogers Centre crowd.

Errors person been among the symptom points for the Mets this season, having the third-most successful MLB, lone down the Washington Nationals and San Francisco Giants. It was conscionable 5 days agone erstwhile the Mets committed six infield errors arsenic they were swept by the Chicago Cubs successful a doubleheader.

This infinitesimal was 1 Soto tried to explicate postgame.

"When you person an outfield similar that, that it bounces a lot, you person to beryllium alert due to the fact that you tin springiness up other basal hits truly easy," Soto told reporters aft going 1-for-3 astatine the sheet with a locomotion successful the loss. "So, I would accidental you got to beryllium assertive – that was my mindset. Just beryllium aggressive, travel done the shot alternatively of playing it backmost and fto it bounce implicit my head. But I really conscionable stopped."

Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter George Springer scores aft his triple and a Mets fielding mistake during the archetypal inning of an MLB crippled against the New York Mets astatine Rogers Centre successful Toronto connected June 29, 2026. (Mathew Tsang/Icon Sportswire)

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This is evidently not what proprietor Steve Cohen and the Mets had successful caput erstwhile they began the 2026 campaign, but they find themselves successful a spread that seems to get deeper with each game, and plays similar this lone heap connected to the disappointment that continues for the squad and its instrumentality base.  

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