Soto isn't yet playing up to the value of his massive deal, but the Mets nevertheless began Thursday with a league-best 18-7 record.

The bottom line: Even while Mets Twitter wrings its hands, Soto is producing at a rate that’s 37% better than league average. That kind of “struggle” would be a career year for most big leaguers. As Mintz says, “That's why Juan Soto is different. … The struggle, the strife, the worry is about a guy who is 37% better than the average hitter.”

Mets' outfielder Juan Soto believes that he knows why he is off to a relatively slow start at the plate in his first season in Flushing.