Complacent Soto Butt Hurt By Defense Criticism

You can’t make almost a billion dollars a year and go as hard as you can. Why? Because mentality, you know you’ve made it, and you will not work hard.  That’s Juan Soto, who was always bad in the field, and not it just became worse. That’s the bottom line.

When he stops hitting home runs… what other tools will work in his favor? Well, he can’t run, and as we already know, he can’t field.  

And so, it’s official. The microscope is out, the lighting is harsh, and the truth is finally hitting harder than a Juan Soto fastball in a hitter’s count: the man can rake, but when it comes to defense and baserunning? Yikes.

Juan Soto might be baseball’s most complete hitter—he’s a savant at the plate, with freakish vision, Jedi-level patience, and a swing that can ruin a pitcher’s ERA in one pitch. At just 26, he’s already collected enough walks to fill Citi Field twice over and has the kind of plate discipline that would make Ted Williams proud. But here’s the problem: he can’t run, and he definitely can’t field. And now, under the big lights of New York (and a big fat contract to match), the baseball world is finally noticing.

Let’s put it plainly: Soto is a highlight reel at the plate and a blooper reel in the field.

According to Sports Illustrated’s Mets coverage, Soto has accumulated a defensive run value of -32 since his debut. Translation: he’s let in 32 more runs than an average right fielder would have at the same time. That’s not a “bad day.” That’s a long-term liability. You could stick a scarecrow in right field and get better results, and it wouldn’t trip over its own cleats on the basepaths.

Juan Soto hace un error pic.twitter.com/Ju6sDEtZKf

— RT Universo (@Rtuniverso20) March 9, 2025

Soto, to his credit, seems aware of the criticism. He told NJ Advance Media on April 7, “It motivates me… not that it bothers me or anything,” before going into a detailed explanation of how he’s working on his hip movement, knee mechanics, and other gym-class drills to get better jumps on balls. That’s all well and good. But you’d think someone on a nearly billion-dollar trajectory would have figured that out somewhere between Washington and Queens.

Let’s be honest—this isn’t new information. Soto has always been a below-average fielder. Metrics like Outs Above Average (OAA) have been sounding the alarm for years, and his low fielding percentage backs it up. Yes, his reaction time is solid. But his routes to the ball resemble a drunk GPS, and his lack of speed turns doubles into triples and bloopers into heart attacks.

But Steve Cohen didn’t care. He saw Soto’s bat and wrote the check. Maybe he thought he was buying a five-tool player. Turns out, it’s more like one tool—and a very shiny one at that—but still just one.

And let’s not forget the baserunning. Soto runs like he’s carrying a piano. There’s no threat when he’s on first. No spark. No chaos. Just Soto trotting station to station like it’s 1978 again.

St. Louis Bullpen—yes, that underrated site full of baseball purists—nailed it the moment Soto inked his deal. Their piece included this gem from John Fleming:

“Juan Soto is a one-dimensional player… Unlike Ohtani, Juan Soto is not perceived as a particularly marketable player beyond his overwhelming talent. He is a mediocre fielder and base runner, and while his plate appearances are about as fun as you’re going to get out of a guy with an 18.8% career walk rate, he isn’t necessarily a human highlight reel. He is worthy of appreciation, if not immediate awe to the casual fan.”

Boom. Roasted.

Here at Bleeding Yankee Blue, we’ve been preaching this sermon for years. Yes, Soto is a phenomenal hitter. Yes, he will help a lineup. But this idea that he’s some flawless diamond? That myth is cracking fast. New York will do that to a player. There’s no place to hide in this town, especially when you’re getting superstar money and playing like a designated hitter in the outfield.

So here we are. The truth, finally out there. Juan Soto: master of the walk, prince of the long ball… and a walking, jogging, slow-reacting red flag on defense.

And thank God everyone’s finally seeing it.