Fans at Citi Field already had grown restless over Juan Soto’s early-season slump, but the home crowd cheered the $765 million man as he strode to the plate with a runner on third base and the Mets trailing by one run in the fifth inning Friday night.

Let it be stated that Juan Soto of the New York Mets is hardly struggling this season, his first since signing a record $765 million free-agent contract with the Queenslanders over the winter. After his first 16 games as a Met,

Ahead of Monday’s 5-1 win against the Minnesota Twins, when Soto featured a .409 on-base percentage with one home run and four RBIs, the Mets’ $765 million man talked about what it’s like not having Judge’s lineup protection.