It’s no secret that it seemed highly unlikely Juan Soto would surpass 30 home runs when he first donned the New York Mets uniform, with many raising alarms over his initially concerning numbers. Now, the millions invested in him are reflected in stellar statistics, some of the best in the franchise’s history.
Juan Soto Is Juan Soto again
After hitting 35 and 41 home runs in consecutive seasons, this was exactly what was expected in his new journey with the Mets at age 26. This season, he reached 38 home runs and set his sights on a unique milestone he’d never achieved in his career: a 30-30 season.
With two outs in the top of the eighth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies, Soto stole third base and made history: he became the first MLB player to reach 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases this season. With this, he joined an elite group of Mets legends, including Darryl Strawberry, Howard Johnson, David Wright, and Francisco Lindor.
Making history is nothing new for Soto, but joining this company would have been unthinkable before the season began. Known more for his power at the plate than his speed, his previous career-high in stolen bases was just 12 with San Diego in 2023. In fact, this is only the third time he’s reached double digits in steals.
In his first year with the Mets, the superstar made base running a priority and is delivering one of his most complete seasons. With a .261 batting average and a .921 OPS, Soto has quietly established himself as a serious contender for the National League MVP. His 38 home runs are only surpassed by Kyle Schwarber (50) and the reigning MVP, Shohei Ohtani (48).
As part of his historic unanimous MVP campaign, Ohtani became just the sixth player in MLB history to achieve 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases. With 17 games remaining in the Mets’ schedule, Soto needs just two home runs and 10 stolen bases to reach that mythical mark and further bolster his case as the league’s best player.
However, the journey wasn’t easy. Early in the season, his effort was questioned. After failing to hustle on a play in May, manager Carlos Mendoza publicly stated he would need to “talk” with his star.
Soto firmly denied that narrative and responded with actions on the field. In what some might call an “off year,” the highest-paid player in MLB has become the offensive engine of the Mets.
One aspect rarely highlighted about Soto is his brilliant baseball IQ and his ability to learn and refine new facets of his game. In just one season working with base-running coach Antoan Richardson, he has evolved into a more complete player, compensating for a lack of natural speed with precision, timing, and reading pitchers.
After Tuesday’s game, Soto didn’t hesitate to credit Richardson.
“Antoan did an unbelievable job,” he said. “He’s been helping me since day one. I give him all the credit, he’s the one who put me in this situation.”
With 30 stolen bases this season, Soto ranks sixth in the National League and 11th in all of MLB. What once went unnoticed has now become a milestone that shines a spotlight on the new dimension of one of baseball’s most complete stars.
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