Any notion that Juan Soto’s first season with the New York Mets is in any way a disappointment has been evaporating by the minute.
Soto is in the middle of an insane stretch, hitting five home runs in his last five games entering play on Wednesday. His .923 OPS is the seventh-best among qualified hitters, and he’s up to 37 dingers, four shy of his career-high.
Plus, Soto has added the stolen base to his game this season, with 27 heists already more than doubling his previous high. The 26-year-old isn’t known for speed, but he’s becoming a savvy and opportunistic baserunner.
That’s putting Soto on the cusp of some Mets franchise history he’d very much like to make.
According to Mike Puma of the New York Post, Soto has his eye on the 40-homer, 30-steal mark, which has never been achieved in the Mets’ 64-year history.
“It would be pretty cool,” Soto told Puma on Tuesday. “It’s something I have never done before, and it’s something I can help the team big-time, too.”
Soto signed a 15-year, $765 million deal to join the Mets in December, the largest contract ever for a team sports athlete. While all can debate whether any player is worth that much money, the surge he’s putting together is reminding us all why the Mets chose to put that offer on the table.
Entering Wednesday, Soto was tied for 12th in steals with teammate Francisco Lindor and former teammate Fernando Tatis Jr. Not bad for a player whose sprint speed ranks in the 16th percentile across the sport, per Baseball Savant.
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