Soto falls deeper into slump with another hitless game in Mets' loss

NEW YORK (AP) — Juan Soto's numbers are getting ugly.

The slumping New York Mets slugger went hitless again Wednesday and failed to get the ball out of the infield in a 9-4 loss to the Chicago White Sox.

After signing a record $765 million contract in December as a free agent, Soto is batting a measly .224 with eight homers and 25 RBIs in 55 games during a turbulent first season with the Mets.

The four-time All-Star and five-time Silver Slugger winner was 0 for 4 with a walk and a strikeout Wednesday in a dreary performance that matched the weather. He was booed by a sparse crowd at Citi Field, where only a few thousand fans were on hand for a hastily rescheduled game.

With rain in the forecast Wednesday night, the first pitch was moved up six hours Tuesday to 1:10 p.m.

Soto is 0 for 16 since lacing a two-run double off the right-center fence Saturday in a 5-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. And nothing seems to be going his way: He lost a hit on a chaotic play Tuesday night when he was called out for passing teammate Brandon Nimmo on the basepaths.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza expressed faith in Soto both before and after Wednesday’s loss.

“Today was one of those days where he didn’t hit the ball hard, but I thought his foundation — his lower half — was in a better position,” Mendoza said.

Soto's batting average has dipped 61 points below his career mark entering the season. He hasn’t homered since May 9, a span of 75 plate appearances, and he has just seven hits in his last 59 at-bats (.119).

With runners in scoring position this year, he's batting .130 (6 for 46) with a homer and 16 RBIs.

That after racking up 41 home runs, 109 RBIs and a .989 OPS with the crosstown New York Yankees last season, when he helped them reach the World Series and finished third in AL MVP voting.

Soto has been particularly cold since May 16, when he got booed incessantly in his return to Yankee Stadium with the Mets. He seemed to take the harsh reception in stride by doffing his helmet to the crowd prior to his first at-bat, but Soto is hitting only .114 (5 for 44) with one extra-base hit since.

Most advanced metrics suggest Soto is hitting into hard luck. He ranks among the 90th percentile in several categories at Baseball Savant, though his bat speed ranks in the 73rd percentile, down from the 94th percentile last season.

Soto made three outs on balls hit at least 99 mph in Tuesday night’s 6-4 win over the White Sox.

“Yesterday was a perfect example of his season so far: 0 for 4 with three balls (almost) 100 mph,” Mendoza said with a chuckle Wednesday morning. “Hard to explain. But it’s baseball.

“Too good of a hitter. Too good of a player. He’ll be Juan Soto here.”

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

New York Mets' Brandon Nimmo (9) runs back to first base after Juan Soto's hit was caught during the first inning against the Chicago White Sox, Tuesday, May 27, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)

New York Mets' Juan Soto reacts after the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers Saturday, May 24, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets' Juan Soto (22) bats during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Tuesday, May 27, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)

New York Mets' Juan Soto (22) reacts after striking out during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox Wednesday, May 28, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

BAGHDAD (AP) — The result of last month’s parliamentary elections in Iraq was ratified by the Supreme Federal Court on Sunday, confirming that the party of caretaker prime minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani won the largest number of seats — but not enough to assure him a second term.

The court confirmed that the voting process met all constitutional and legal requirements and had no irregularities affecting its validity.

The Independent High Electoral Commission submitted the final results of the legislative elections to the Supreme Federal Court on Monday for official certification after resolving 853 complaints submitted regarding the election results.

Al-Sudani's Reconstruction and Development Coalition won 46 seats in the 329-seat parliament. However, in past elections in Iraq, the bloc taking the largest number of seats has often been unable to impose its preferred candidate.

The coalition led by former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki won 29 seats, the Sadiqoun Bloc, which is led by the leader of the Asaib Ahl al-Haq militia, Qais al-Khazali, won 28 seats, and the Kurdistan Democratic Party, led by Masoud Barzani, one of the two main Kurdish parties in the country, won 27 seats.

The Taqaddum (Progress) party of ousted former Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi also won 27 seats, setting the stage for a contest over the speaker's role.

By convention, the prime minister of Iraq is always Shiite, the president a Kurd, and the parliament speaker Sunni.

Overall, Shiite alliances and lists secured 187 seats, Sunni groups 77 seats, Kurdish groups 56 seats, in addition to 9 seats reserved for members of minority groups.

Al-Sudani came to power in 2022 with the backing of the Coordination Framework, a coalition of Iran-backed Shiite parties, but it is not clear whether the coalition will align behind him a second time.

With no single bloc able to form a government alone, political leaders have launched negotiations to build a ruling coalition.

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Martany reported from Irbil, Iraq.

FILE - Voters gather to cast their vote at a ballot station in the country's parliamentary election in Najaf, Iraq, Nov. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Anmar Khalil, File)

FILE - Iraqi voters gather to cast their vote at a ballot station in the country's parliamentary election in Najaf, Iraq, Nov. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Anmar Khalil, File)

FILE - Election workers count ballots as they close a polling station, during the parliamentary elections in Baghdad, Iraq, Nov. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban, File)

FILE - Election workers gather parliamentary election ballots after the polls closed in Baghdad, Iraq, Nov. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban, File)