A ball that could have been caught. A game that could have been won. Juan Soto couldn’t haul in a catch against the Washington Nationals — and it may have cost the New York Mets the game.
While some blame him, others point to a bigger issue on the mound. What really happened that night?
Soto Misses Critical Catch Leading to Mets Loss Against Nationals
Based on SleeperMets’ original post on X, Dylan Crews’ hit was only a potential home run in 3 out of 30 MLB stadiums (Yankees, Rays, Reds), suggesting that the dimensions at Nationals Park made it an easy catch for a skilled outfielder.
Here's the Juan Soto play in right field.
This ball hit by Dylan Crews is a home run in 3/30 ball parks (Yankees, Rays, Reds)…. So Soto wouldn't have made this grab as a Yankee anyway.
(🎥- @DanBartels2 )pic.twitter.com/oRrtx9gW43
— SleeperMets (@SleeperMets) April 26, 2025
Soto, playing right field, couldn’t make the catch. The ball hit the top of his glove as he collided with the wall, letting the Nationals score an important run that helped them win 4-3.
Mets fans quickly reacted to the botched catch. One user vented his frustration in a reply., stating, “The fact that the ball was in his glove and he dropped it makes me angry. This dude needs to wake up.”
The same user later doubled down on their frustration in a follow-up reply to another user, saying, “Well, that cost us the game,” directly attributing the team’ loss to Soto’s defensive miscue.
“Yeah, I don’t care about Yankee fans still crying over him. They are the ones embarrassing themselves. What I do care about, however, is an 800 million dollar man having 3 HRs, a .220 average and then has poor defense like this to lose a game.” another user commented.
However, not all reactions were purely critical. Another user, offered a more detailed analysis by responding, “If you view the replay close that they played you’ll see it tipped off the top of his glove and never was fully in it while crashing into the wall. Maybe stanek shouldn’t be throwing barrels so much.”
He pointed fingers at pitcher Ryne Stanek, implying that his delivery may have contributed to the mistake pitch that Crews capitalized on.
Soto finished as the runner-up in the 2021 NL MVP race and earned back-to-back Silver Slugger Awards. In his 2018 rookie season, he posted a .292 batting average, a .406 on-base percentage, and a .517 slugging percentage—numbers that placed him in elite company alongside Aaron Judge and Albert Pujols.
However, his defensive metrics tell a different story. A recent article from Sports Illustrated pointed out that Soto has a career defensive run value of -32, indicating he’s given up 32 more runs than a typical MLB right fielder since he started playing.
“It motivates me. I’m not saying that it bothers me or anything, just that it drives me to show that I am a good defender.” Soto stated via Grant Young of SI.com.
He has shown some solid reaction time, ranking 18th among 99 outfielders in speed last season. He was able to cover 1.2 feet in the first 1.5 seconds on balls with a catch probability of 90% or lower, according to Manny Gómez from NJ Advance Media.
Whether it’s a costly drop or a misstep on the mound, the mistake from Soto serves as a reminder that in baseball, even the smallest moments can carry the weight of a game.