Juan Soto of the Mets shares how Carlos Mendoza helped him begin to thrive

Juan Soto credits Carlos Mendoza for easing his transition to the New York Mets following his two-homer performance against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Juan Soto is quickly settling into life in New York, and he’s giving much of the credit to Mets manager Carlos Mendoza.

In Wednesday’s 7-1 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks, Soto put on a show, launching two solo home runs—one off starter Merrill Kelly and another off reliever Jalen Beeks—demonstrating the elite power that earned him a $765 million contract.

Following the game, Soto spoke with Bob Nightengale of USA Today MLB, acknowledging Mendoza’s role in helping him adjust to his new team.

“Juan Soto, who hit 2 HRs today, credits manager Carlos Mendoza for making his transition smooth as possible since joining the Mets,” Nightengale posted on X (formerly Twitter). “‘I’ve been feeling, you know, really comfortable. It’s not easy at all. You know, when you come to a team for first time, it’s always going to take you a little bit to settle in, but Mendoza has been helping big time.’”

After a quiet April where he batted just .232, Soto has caught fire in May, slashing .346/.500/.833 with four home runs—all coming against the Diamondbacks. His impact on the Mets’ lineup is undeniable, lifting an offense that had struggled with consistency earlier in the season.

Soto’s 427-foot homer in the third inning opened the scoring and set the tone, while his opposite-field blast later in the game pushed the lead to 4-0. He added a sacrifice fly in the ninth for his third RBI of the night. Now sitting at seven homers and 17 RBIs on the year, Soto is quickly proving why the Mets built their roster around him.

While Soto’s star power garners the headlines, it’s the steady influence of Mendoza that may be fueling his resurgence. The manager’s calm demeanor and leadership style appear to be helping Soto thrive—just as it did with players during Mendoza’s previous coaching stops.

If Soto continues to play like this, Mets fans might have Mendoza to thank just as much as their new superstar.