Thomas Shea-Imagn ImagesThomas Shea-Imagn Images
The New York Mets entered the ninth inning of their Opening Day clash against the Houston Astros staring at a 3-0 deficit. Their offense had been ice-cold all afternoon, and to make matters worse, they were up against one of the best closers in baseball, Josh Hader.
But baseball has a way of making even the bleakest situations interesting. Hader, normally a surgeon on the mound, was anything but precise. Two singles and a grueling 12-pitch walk to Luisangel Acuña suddenly loaded the bases, and the Mets had a pulse.
Hayden Senger struck out swinging for the first out, putting more pressure on Francisco Lindor. The veteran shortstop managed to put a run on the board with a sacrifice fly, but it came at the cost of the second out. And just like that, it was down to one final battle—the kind baseball fans live for.
Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Juan Soto, the Mets’ $765 million man, stepped into the box. He had already reached base three times in the game and now had a chance to cement his Mets legacy in his very first game. The possibilities were tantalizing: a walk would bring Pete Alonso to the plate with the bases still loaded, a single would make it a one-run game, and a double? A tie ballgame.
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Soto worked a 3-0 count. The crowd buzzed with anticipation. Hader, on the ropes, found another gear. In the span of a few pitches, he clawed his way back to 3-2. Then, with the game hanging in the balance, he unleashed a vicious slider. Soto, clearly expecting something else, swung through it. Game over.
“I wasn’t expecting it,” Soto admitted after the game. “It just happens.”
Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images
For Mets fans, it was a brutal way to start the season—like dropping your ice cream cone before you even take a bite. But if there’s one thing history tells us, it’s that Soto will deliver when it matters most.
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He’s done it before, whether it was leading the Nationals to a World Series title at just 20 years old or helping the Yankees make it to the Fall Classic in 2024. Now, he has 15 years to do the same in Queens.
A little patience will go a long way.
