Toronto Blue Jays outfielder George Springer gave the team an unforgettable start against the New York Mets on Monday night, racing home on a bizarre Little League-style home run that quickly went viral. However, much of the attention shifted to Mets’ Juan Soto and A.J. Ewing, whose defensive miscues allowed the veteran to circle the bases.
The sequence began when George Springer looped a sinking liner into left field in the bottom of the first inning. Soto failed to field the ball cleanly as it skipped past him toward the wall, and Ewing then made matters worse by bobbling the ball while attempting to back up the play, giving Springer enough time to score.
•
The unusual defensive breakdown sparked widespread criticism from Mets fans on social media, with many expressing disbelief over how a routine play unraveled into an inside-the-park run. Several supporters singled out Juan Soto and A.J. Ewing, calling it one of the worst defensive sequences they had witnessed.
“That’s the worst defensive play I’ve ever seen.”
“This is what half a billion gets us!”
“Soto is loafing even before Ewing came over.”
“You can just tell he don’t give a flying f***.”
“I’ve seen drunk guys in my Vegas softball days hustle more than this.”
“Every day I wake up I hate myself for being a Mets fan.”
Despite the official scoring ruling the play a triple with a throwing error on Ewing, the Blue Jays happily capitalized on New York’s mistakes. George Springer’s hustle around the bases gave Toronto an early lead while adding another lowlight to what has been a difficult defensive season for the Mets.
David Stearns gets called out for “coddling” Juan Soto too much
Ex-New York Mets hitting and bench coach Eric Chavez recently questioned the leadership within the organization, claiming the club failed to hold Juan Soto accountable on his EC3 podcast. He alleged that Soto would often remain near the batting cages between innings instead of joining his teammates in the dugout, and said the behavior went unchecked by the front office.
According to Chavez, he brought the matter to the president of baseball operations, David Stearns, expressing concerns that it set the wrong example for younger players on the roster. However, the former coach claimed the issue was dismissed.
“This is a lack of leadership, a lack of accountability, from the top down,” Chavez said. “And we had an assistant GM who would sit there with [Soto] – the assistant GM would sit there with him – and kind of coddle him, tap him on the shoulder, without saying ‘hey dude, how about getting in the dugout with your teammates.’”
Chavez claimed that when he brought the issue to Stearns’ attention, he responded, “Those players need to learn that they’re not Juan Soto.” Chavez’s remarks added to the growing criticism surrounding Stearns, whose tenure has come under scrutiny following the Mets’ disappointing season.
Edited by Safeer M S