Soto’s deal came with enormous pressure to maintain the Hall of Fame caliber production he had shown throughout his entire career. Not only that, but the 26-year-old jumped from arguably the biggest brand in MLB, the New York Yankees, to their crosstown rivals, only adding fuel to that fire.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza pointed to that hit as a “good sign” that Soto was about to break out. Soto begs to differ. “I’m still getting into a rhythm and working on getting my timing,” Soto told NJ Advance Media after the game.