The New York Mets need a big season from star outfielder Juan Soto to get back to the postseason, and Soto needs a big season to take home his first MVP.
New York Mets superstar outfielder Juan Soto has already had an illustrious career and is still just 27-years-old.
He might not be a great defender, but Soto’s one of the best offensive players in Major League Baseball and has the stats and accolades to prove it. In 1,096 career games, Soto has accumulated 42.6 WAR, putting him well on track to be a future Hall of Famer when his career ends.
Soto has 1,086 hits, 775 runs scored, 199 doubles, 16 triples, 244 home runs, 697 RBI, 95 stolen bases and 896 walks to go with a career slash line of .282/.417/.531 (.948 OPS). He’s a four-time All-Star, six-time Silver Slugger, batting champion and a 2019 World Series champion with the Washington Nationals.
The one thing that has eluded him in his brilliant career is the Most Valuable Player award. Soto has six top 10 finishes in MVP voting, including four top five finishes and three top three finishes. When your competition is Ohtani though, you can’t really blame him for not winning the award.
Last season, Soto had the best power season of his career, smacking 43 homers, 20 doubles and one triple as he knocked in 105 runs. He also led MLB with 127 walks and tied for the National League-lead in steals (38) but finished third in NL MVP voting.
Soto vowed that he’s coming for Ohtani’s seat at the head of the table and that he has to steal the award from him, but to do that, he’s going to have to do some incredible things.
One thing that could put him over the hump is hitting 50 home runs, which ESPN’s Jeff Passan wouldn’t be surprised by.
“While it's a safe bet that he won't book 38 steals again, Soto's homer surge in recent years – from 27 to 35 to 41 to 43 – indicates a greater emphasis on power as he heads into his age-27 season,” Passan wrote Friday.
“It's easy to forget Soto is still young, still evolving, still figuring out the full extent of his baseball-playing powers. His greatness, at this point, is indisputable. Just how great Soto can be, and where his ample set of tools takes him, is for him to answer.”
His ascension as one of the league’s best players has been incredible to watch, but if he could improve defensively and become an average defender, he would be even better. Watch out for a motivated Soto as he embarks on his first MVP award and leading the Mets to the promise land.