Juan Soto isn't letting the team down, but these 3 NY Mets players are

The Juan Soto blame is so over-played. He isn't even close to letting the team down, unlike these 3 Mets players.
New York Mets v Boston Red Sox
New York Mets v Boston Red Sox | Winslow Townson/GettyImages
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3) Starling Marte

The previous two seasons haven’t been Starling Marte’s best. He turned in slightly above-average production last year in 2024, batting .269/.327/.388 with a .313 wOBA and 104 wRC+ in 370 plate appearances. While he may not be the speed demon he was in his prime, he still went 16-17 in stolen base attempts. But Marte’s defense was poor at best, with -6 DRS and -8 OAA in the outfield.

Marte was set to be the right-handed hitting platoon partner for fellow veteran Jesse Winker. However, Winker’s oblique injury in early May has only amplified Marte’s poor hitting at the plate. In 93 plate appears, Marte is slashing .203/.313/.316 with a .290 wOBA and 91 wRC+. His .331 xwOBA suggests there may still be some gas in the tank, but Marte can’t hit right-handed pitching at this point in his career.

With a 78 wRC+ against RHP, he is on pace for the third season in a row with a sub-90 wRC+ when facing same-handed pitching. Even his numbers against lefties haven’t been good this season. Last year, he had a .844 OPS, .368 wOBA, and 141 when facing a southpaw. He currently has just a .667 OPS, .307 wOBA, and 99 wRC+ against opposite-handed hurlers. The Mets may have to look for a potential replacement come the trade deadline if he can't show more life vs LHP.

Marte is now in just the 13th percentile of sprint speed, which is about on par with Soto. He’s also only played ten innings in the outfield this year. If Marte isn’t even hitting well against lefties, the only thing he was counted on doing this year, then there’s no doubt he’s been a much bigger blemish on the Mets’ roster than anything negative Soto has done this year.