It’s been anything but smooth sailing for Juan Soto this season. The New York Mets star has been caught in a whirlwind of controversies — from a sluggish start that had fans questioning his form, to falling short of sparking a turnaround when the Mets hit a slump. And just when you’d think the storm might settle, it hasn’t. The latest buzz? His age and his past ties with the New York Yankees have come back into the spotlight, and it’s stirring the pot all over again.

Remember, Soto was an integral part of the Yankees in 2024. While it was anticipated that he would continue with the Franchise for at least one and a half more decades, he rejected the 16-year, $760 million offer and switched sides with the Mets for a 15-year, $765 million deal. This led to widespread criticism, with the Bronx fans questioning his loyalty. However, a new narrative has now emerged with WFAN’s Brandon Tierney expressing satisfaction over Soto switching sides. 

Speaking in an interaction on Friday, Tierney said, “Now, most of you will not believe me if you gave me a chance to put him on the Yankees right now, for the contract he signed with the Mets or the contract that the Yankees offered. My answer would be ‘I’m good, Pass.’” Interestingly, Tierney’s remarks cannot be ignored. 

Juan Soto has struggled extensively at the plate so far this season. Despite occasionally depicting glimpses of the superstar he is, he has fallen into a rut quite often. In fact, in his last seven games, he has had 27 at-bats, 8 hits, 4 home runs, 6 RBIs, 5 walks, and 8 strikeouts. His slash line of .252/.384/.878 for this season so far shows promise, but it is still inconsistent. And for the Yankees, who are struggling equally like their New York counterparts, it would have been more difficult with Soto’s current form. But Tierney’s criticism did not stop here. 

The WFAN voice also questioned if Soto was 26 years old, hinting that he might be lying about his age. “Does he look 26?. When you’re 26, you have a youthful glow… I think there’s a good chance he’s not 26, I’ll say it,” he said. And guess what? This is not the first time that questions around Soto’s age have been raised.

Earlier this year, a parody X account named FAX Sports: MLB took to the platform and wrote, “BREAKING: Confidential documents have been reported to FAX Sports about Juan Soto’s age. The Dominican native’s real age is 33.” Despite the account mentioning it was a parody, several fans fell for it and agreed to the claim. But even after all the criticism, Mets Skipper Carlos Mendoza has remained hopeful of a turnaround. 

Mets Skipper’s Clear Message For Juan Soto

Juan Soto’s struggles have increased significantly amid some inconsistent efforts. In such situations, a player needs only support and motivation. Providing the same to the star player is none other than the team’s skipper, Carlos Mendoza.  Mendoza has remained hopeful of a positive turnaround from Soto that would eventually help the team. 

When asked about Soto’s struggles last week, Mendoza decided to offer a clearer picture, expressing his hopes. “I think I said it before the game, the past couple of games there’s been signs there that he’s more balanced,” Mendoza told the New York Post’s Peter Botte. “He’s connected, he’s short to the ball. And we know when you see that right there … I think he’s getting close.” He expressed a similar opinion in May as well when the $765M star was having trouble hitting the ball, saying that Soto passes the “eye test” despite what the stats might say about his performance. 

“Too good of a hitter. Too good of a player. He’ll be Juan Soto here,” Mendoza said in May this year. 

Now, as the season unfolds, it will be interesting to see if Soto catches a break. Can the Mets rely on him if they make it into the offseason? Well, only time will tell.