By any metric, Juan Soto’s first season with the Mets was an absolute success. The Dominican, who crossed from the Bronx to Queens on a historic 15-year, $765 million contract, had a dream campaign: 43 home runs, 38 stolen bases and a third-place finish in the National League MVP voting.
However, the path was not as straightforward as the numbers suggest. His first few months were marked by a slow start, hitting just .241 through the end of April and with the pressure from the fans growing game by game.
Carlos Beltran shares experience and leadership
In the midst of that context, Soto turned to the voice of someone who knows as well as anyone the burden of playing and leading in New York: Carlos Beltran. The former Puerto Rican outfielder, now a member of the Mets’ front office, told him how he also experienced moments of enormous pressure after signing his historic seven-year, $119 million contract with the franchise
Beltran confessed that, to cope with that weight, he carried a card with his actual statistics, a constant reminder of who he really was as a player, away from the criticism and external narrative. That “mental reset” was key for him and, according to Soto, it also ended up being crucial to stabilize his season.
Soto’s response and its historical impact
The advice worked. Soto not only regained confidence, but ended up having a historic season: he led the league in walks (127), posted an OBP of .396, was the National League leader in stolen bases along with Oneil Cruz (38) and became the first player in Mets history with a campaign of at least 40 home runs and 30 stolen bases.
In addition, he joined legendary names such as Barry Bonds and Jeff Bagwell as the only ballplayers with a 40 HR, 30 steals and 100 walks season
Beltran backs Soto’s future with the Mets
Beltran, now a key figure in the team’s sporting management, has been one of the most vocal in supporting Soto, highlighting his ability to withstand pressure and respond with greatness.
With the departure of leaders such as Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz, and the deep changes in the roster, the Dominican and Francisco Lindor are emerging as the pillars of the New York project. And if another difficult moment comes, Soto knows he can turn to that symbolic card and the advice of someone who has already written his name in Queens history.
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