The New York Mets newest superstar outfielder, Juan Soto, reported to spring training on Sunday. In doing so, he also spoke to Mets media for the first time since his opening press conference directly after he signed the massive 15-year, $765 million contract in the offseason.
Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized
One of the first things Soto spoke about in his media availability is his excitement of playing with slugging first baseman Pete Alonso. Soto said, “He’s one of the best pure power hitters in the league,” when discussing Alonso. Of course, the career-Met was re-signed by New York just a couple weeks ago, to a two-year deal with an opt-out after the 2025 season. Alonso is only 27 home runs shy of breaking the franchise’s record.
Soto went on to speak on the Mets’ lineup as a whole saying, “We have a lot go good hitters, we have balance in the lineup.” Additionally, Soto said that the Mets lineup is, “really good.” According to Fangraph’s wins above replacement projections, the Mets’ 33.3 projected lineup fWAR ranks second behind only the Baltimore Orioles (33.4). So, Soto’s claims appear to be well warranted.
Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized
When asked about where he envisions himself in that potent Mets’ lineup, Soto said that, “Wherever he [manager Carlos Mendoza] needs me, I’ll be there. I’m here to help the team win.” Of course, the most logical spot for Soto to hit is in the No. 2 hole right behind Francisco Lindor. The other potential spot is No. 3 behind the lead-off Lindor and potentially Mark Vientos, with Alonso right behind him in the clean-up spot. Whenever he lands, expect the career .953 OPS hitter to make a huge impact.
Despite the huge bat, Soto has struggled at times in the field and running the bases. He specifically identified those two areas as places he wants to continue on work. He said, “I have to be better base running and keep improving my defense.” He finished that thought off with saying winning a Gold Glove is important to him.
Last year, according to Baseball Savant, Soto owned a negative-three base running value which ranked 175th among 189 qualified. Also, despite being named a finalist for a Gold Glove in the American League, he posted a negative-five outs above average, which ranked in the league’s 13th percentile. So, his desired two areas for improvement would certainly help his overall game.
Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized
Soto also spoke about the future, specially how excited he is to know he is going to be in one place for a long time. Soto said, “I’m really happy to know where I’m going to be for the next 15 years.” The 26-year-old is set to be 41 when his contract ends. It is safe to say there is a very high probability that Soto finishes his career as a Met, especially given his full no-trade clause.
The Mets, and president of baseball operations, David Stearns, main goal is of course winning. Signing Soto to the mammoth extension is just more evidence of that. Soto is arguably the best hitter in all of baseball and only 26 years old. He also shares the mindset of wanting to win, as he said, “I want more. I want to keep winning.” Hopefully, he will be able to do so in Flushing with a team that made the National League Championship Series for the first time since 2015 in 2024.
