Klapisch: Juan Soto had a chance to silence Yankees fans; Now he’s Jose Altuve

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NEW YORK — I don’t claim to be an expert in human behavior, but sometimes all you need is a halfway decent radar to know when someone is unhappy. That’s what I’m seeing and sensing in Mets right fielder Juan Soto after his lost weekend in the Bronx.

The man is downright miserable.

Although Soto said he was ready for the homecoming, he was shell-shocked by the time Sunday night rolled around. Three sell-out crowds broke him.

With only one hit in the Subway Series, Soto couldn’t have picked a worse time to slump. The army of Yankees loyalists crowned him as the new Jose Altuve.

But this is a far worse sentence. Altuve the cheater has been replaced by Soto the traitor.

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What Soto needed was a couple of home runs over the short porch — monster blasts. That was the only response Yankees fans would’ve respected. But the tentative at-bats only made Soto look weak.

Friday’s booing rolled into Saturday. No more helmet tipping. No more turning around to interact with the Bleacher Creatures. Sunday was the worst day of all. By then, Soto was in a terrible mood.

He’d agreed to be miked up by ESPN in the second inning but changed his mind minutes before the game. Soto told Mets officials he was tired of answering questions about Yankees captain Aaron Judge and sick of explaining why he chose the Mets.

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The second was Soto’s conduct after the Mets’ 8-2 loss. Not only was he held hitless, but the signature swag had vanished. Soto’s bat seemed slow, and more surprisingly, he’s put on a few pounds around the middle.

Just as Soto turned his back on ESPN, he did the same to reporters who were waiting to speak to him in the post-game clubhouse. Soto got dressed and began walking towards the door. He told a Mets official he’d be back to answer questions after seeing family members outside.

Soto never returned.

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These are troubling signs for the Mets’ hierarchy. I’m told they’re concerned about Soto’s lack of enthusiasm for his new team. The only time Soto seemed happy this weekend was while he interacted with Judge, manager Aaron Boone and second baseman Jazz Chisholm during batting practice.

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