The New York Mets posted some amazing statistics this year, but the most amazing one came from outfielder Juan Soto, according to Sarah Langs of MLB.com, who did a piece selecting one cool stat from each team in the league.
The stat she chose for Soto was exotic but intriguing: 21.6 percent of his swings were “blasts,” and so was 26.3 percent of his contact. Both of those numbers led the league, but they also beg the question: What is a blast, exactly, in statistical terms?
The definition is at least slightly esoteric. It refers to a ball hit with a swing velocity of at least 75 mph, and the ball is squared up, although squared up isn’t explicitly defined for obvious reasons. That means it reached at least 80 percent of its possible exit velocity, based on bat speed and pitch speed.
When your head stops spinning from all of that, consider this: MLB hitters hit .547 with a 1.139 slugging percentage and a 99.8 hard-hit rate on blasts in 2025.
Soto’s more conventional stats reflect that. He wound up being the first player in Mets history to hit at least 40 home runs with 30 steals, and he also led the league in walks with 127 and an on-base percentage of .396, and he tied Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz for the most stolen based in the NL with 38.
He’s probably the most well-rounded player in baseball, but Soto’s contributions still weren’t enough to get the Mets over the top. Part of the reason may have been the clubhouse unrest that was reported in the New York Post after the season, which included information about the very different playing styles of Soto and star shortstop Francisco Lindor.
Lindor’s style is flamboyant bordering on theatrical at times, and a clubhouse argument he had with former second baseman Jeff McNeil back in June was highlighted as the cause of tension in teh clubhouse.
Soto, meanwhile, was described as more of a “grinder,” a guy who wants to come to work, get that work done and contribute to winning games as much as possible. The statistical results speak for themselves, and it’s hard to imagine Soto improving on them all that much.
Leadership-wise, though, it will be interesting to see if Soto changes at all and becomes more vocal. The Mets could clearly use better leadership as GM David Stearns goes about the business of revamping the roster, and all eyes will be on Soto to see how he addresses all this when he comes to spring training.