Thursday was Soto’s first game back in New York since his comments on how “different” things have been not hitting in front of Yankees slugger Judge, whom he called “the best hitter in baseball.” In free agency, Soto turned down the Yankees’ 16-year, $760 million offer for the Mets’: 15 years, $765 million (which could reach $805 million).

He’s still one of the most feared left-handed hitters in baseball. But the at-bats he’s having this season aren’t the same without that protection Judge gave him. So far, Soto has hit two home runs for the Mets.

Soto didn’t hear the restless crowd, he told The Post. He was focused on the Mets, on his at-bats, on the “couple rockets right in front of people” that turned into outs. Any frustration Soto — in the first season of a 15-year deal — has over his .221 average gets balanced by knowledge that struggles are just “part of the game.”