MLB Report: Mets’ Juan Soto, Francisco Lindor Lacked Chemistry In 2025
A new report from New York Post‘s Mike Puma suggests that New York Mets superstars Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor didn’t have a great relationship during Soto’s first season in Queens.
“Clubhouse source indicated that relations between Lindor and Juan Soto were chilly, following the latter’s arrival on a record $765 million contract,” Puma wrote.
“Soto is very businesslike — all business, no fluff,” the source said. “He wants to come to the yard and work his tail off and win games. He’s not into fashion or any of that other stuff. Lindor is into that. It’s just two different personalities.”
Lindor and Soto delivered excellent individual performances for the Mets in 2025, yet couldn’t propel the team beyond an 83-79 finish that left New York short of a playoff berth. Entering the season with sky-high expectations after Soto’s record-shattering deal, the pair presented a formidable core, blending power, speed, and plate discipline in ways rarely seen.
Over 160 games, Lindor slashed .267/ .346/ .466, smashing 31 home runs and swiping 31 bases to join the exclusive 30-30 club for the first time as a Met. His 117 runs scored and 86 RBI fueled early Mets surges, including a scorching April where he notched his 1,500th career hit and delivered a walk-off blast against the Marlins. Selected as the NL starting shortstop for the All-Star Game on July 2, Lindor posted a 6.3 fWAR, tying a franchise mark for consecutive 5+ WAR seasons among position players. Despite a midseason toe fracture that sapped some power from his right-handed swing, his glove work at short remained a stabilizing force, even as defensive metrics dipped slightly.
Soto hit .263/ .396/ .525/ .921 OPS with 43 homers and 105 RBI, earning NL Player of the Month honors in June after a .322/ .474/ .722 tear with 11 long balls. His plate discipline drew 130 walks, while an aggressive baserunning shift post-All-Star break netted 32 steals, tying him for the NL lead and landing him in the 30-30 club on September 9, the fifth Met ever to do so. Soto’s 6.2 WAR paced the team, but his subpar defense in the outfield drew scrutiny amid the club’s late collapse.
Together, Lindor and Soto became just the third teammate duo in MLB history to post 30-30 seasons, echoing the 1987 Mets’ Johnson-Strawberry magic. Their chemistry sparked a blistering 45-24 start through June 12, positioning New York atop the NL East. Yet, injuries ravaged the pitching staff (starters logged just 60 percent of expected innings) and defensive lapses eroded leads, including three straight games blowing 4+ run advantages in August. A brutal September saw the Mets drop 15 of 25, eliminated on the 28th in a loss to the Marlins despite a Reds defeat elsewhere.