By Sunday 
No More Nightmares: Soto Turns the Page at Citi Field
Juan Soto finally gave Mets fans what they’ve been waiting for — and then some.
For a guy who smashed 41 homers last year, expectations were sky-high when Soto landed in Queens. The idea of him launching bombs into the Citi Field seats had Mets faithful dreaming big. But through the entire month of April? Crickets. Not a single home run at home. It started to feel like Citi Field was cursed ground for the superstar slugger.
The Drought Breaker
That all changed on Thursday night. Facing the Arizona Diamondbacks, Soto finally got his Citi Field monkey off his back with an opposite-field homer in the sixth inning. As Bob Nightengale put it, “Juan Soto’s homerless drought at Citi Field is over. He hits his 1st homer at Citi Field since joining the Mets against the Arizona D-backs.”
But Soto wasn’t satisfied with just snapping the streak — he decided to put on a show. In the eighth inning, almost like déjà vu, he went deep again to nearly the same spot. Just like that, two home runs in one night, both cutting into Arizona’s lead.
Making Up for Lost Time
April may have been a quiet month for Soto’s bat at home, but May is already singing a different tune. Coming into Thursday’s game with three home runs total, Soto’s night bumped his season tally up to five. Not bad for a guy who hadn’t cleared the fences at Citi Field just days ago.
Hitting in New York’s frigid spring isn’t for the faint of heart, and Soto’s slow April shouldn’t have come as a shock. But as the temps rise, so does the heat in Soto’s bat — and that’s very good news for the Mets.
Soto’s Power Surge Mirrors Mets’ Hot Start
Even without home runs from Soto, the Mets have been blazing. They entered Thursday with a 21-10 record — tied with the mighty Dodgers for the best mark in the majors. Sure, Thursday’s game didn’t go their way (the D-backs answered Soto’s heroics with a ninth-inning dagger), but this team is rolling.
With Soto heating up and the Mets already firing on all cylinders, things are starting to feel pretty special in Queens. And now that Citi Field has finally witnessed a Soto show, don’t be surprised if the fireworks start coming in bunches.
One thing’s for sure: the nightmare is over — and Juan Soto is wide awake.