Soto, 26, who signed a record-breaking 15-year, $756 million contract in December, and Holmes, 32, played for the New York Yankees in 2024. The Mets signed them in an attempt to bolster their roster after falling to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series last year.

This was the script from last fall. Regardless of how the first seven or eight innings had gone, the Mets discovered another gear late, often against the opposing team’s most dominant relievers. Here it was, supercharged by the presence of Soto. “If we’ve got Juan up at the end of the game,” said Clay Holmes, “everybody likes our chances.”

Juan Soto hit his first home run with the New York Mets, connecting in the third inning against the Houston Astros