There are plenty of reasons why the Mets have struggled the way they have to this point in their season, especially over the past month. Juan Soto isn’t close to being a big one. Or some kind of big bust. He’s not -- as easy a target as he is because of the money he’s making, and because the team has struggled and because, well, it’s New York.

Are his offensive numbers slightly down across the board from what they were with the Yankees a year ago? They are, up there in the bright lights of the big city for everybody to see. Soto put himself into a hole early, posting a .701 OPS through April (pedestrian by his standards), and has been trying to hit his way out of it ever since.

Soto still hit his 32nd home run on Friday night against the Braves: There are only three players in the Nati

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