Nobody on the Mets is struggling more than the $765 million man originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The New York Mets have gotten off to a terrible start to the 2026 season, but there is still a ton of baseball left to be played. With the heart of May underway, time is starting to trickle down now, however, and if this team wants to even sniff the postseason, they'd better get on their horses now.
To do so, they need a complete team effort going forward. But, since the calendar flipped to May, there has been one player who should be leading the charge, and is not. The worst part is, the Mets are going to be paying him 76.5% of a Billion Dollars.
That's right, outfielder Juan Soto has been the single most struggling Met on this roster, and it is not even close. Since May began, No. 22 has a batting average of .138, and his season average has dropped from .344 to a flat .276. The Mets have only played eight games this month so far.
Soto had to deal with some early-season injuries, but is now back at 100%. There should be no reason why Mets Manager, Carlos Mendoza, cannot rely on the highest-paid player in MLB history.
That is why he should be deemed the worst-performing Met at the moment, as his prominence in this lineup is unmatched. He has to be a superstar with every at-bat, or else this entire team falls around him. For Mets fans' sake, that has not been the case, as the Mets are enjoying a nice May overall, with a 5-3 record.
Soto has to start being the Most Valuable Player on this roster and earn every penny of his record-breaking deal.
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