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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 hit turned into a Little League home run. And Juan Soto, the team’s $765 million man, was at the center of the brutal mishap.
The Mets came into this game 35-49, which has been one of the most shocking stories of the season heading into the All-Star break, given their place as the second-highest payroll in MLB this season, behind only the reigning World Series champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers.
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Juan Soto of the New York Mets returns to the dugout after striking out in 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 going just days after the firing of manager Carlos Mendoza. But the game couldn’t have started worse for New York and 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 completely misread the ball’s bounce off the turf, choosing to take an aggressive route to the ball and potentially catch it on a short jump. Instead, the ball went right under his glove and began rolling toward the left field fence.
Soto ran towards the ball, while the veteran Springer reserved it on the base paths. Soto’s decision not to run was because rookie center fielder AJ Ewing was already chasing him. But from there things only got worse.
Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter George Springer celebrates with outfielder Nathan Lukes after scoring during the first inning against the New York Mets at Rogers Center in Toronto, Ontario on June 29, 2026. (Mateo Tsang/Icon Sportswire)
When Ewing looked up to see where Springer was on the bases, he did not field the ball cleanly, but instead threw it back into the fence after trying to pick it up with his glove.
As a result, Springer was sent to 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’ weak points this season, ranking third in the MLB, behind only the Washington Nationals and San Francisco Giants. It was just five days ago that the Mets made six infield errors as they were swept by the Chicago Cubs in a doubleheader.
This moment was one that Soto attempted to explain after the game.
“When you have an outfield like that, that bounces a lot, you have to be alert because you can give up extra bases very easily,” Soto told reporters after going 1 for 3 at the plate with a walk in the loss. “So I would say you have to be aggressive, that was my way of thinking. Just be aggressive, go through the ball instead of returning it and let it bounce over my head. But I actually just stopped.”
Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter George Springer scores after his triple and a Mets fielding error during the first inning of an MLB game against the New York Mets at Rogers Center in Toronto on June 29, 2026. (Mateo Tsang/Icon Sportswire)
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Obviously, this isn’t what owner Steve Cohen and the Mets had in mind when they entered the 2026 campaign, but they find themselves in a hole that seems to get deeper with each game, and plays like this only add to the ongoing disappointment for the team and its fan base.
