If the Mets are truly going to get back in the playoff hunt in the National League, Juan Soto will have to lead the way. Luckily for them, their superstar has played at an MVP level, certainly since returning from the injured list in late April. Soto had a major impact in the Mets’ three-game sweep of the Marlins over the weekend, hitting .364 with one home run, five runs batted in, and a 1.098 OPS.

That one home run was quite outstanding. After winning the first two games against Miami, a golden opportunity was presented to the Mets. With Nolan McLean on the mound, a series sweep at home felt within reach. The Mets jumped out to an early lead and never looked back. Soto provided the exclamation point in the bottom of the sixth, hitting a towering grand slam to right center field to give them a 10-1 lead.

“He’s unbelievable. He’s elite. His ability to do a lot of different things offensively. When he’s on a roll, he’s impacting the baseball and driving the ball to the pull side. He can go the other way. The walks, the way he controls the strike zone,” Carlos Mendoza said about what makes Soto so impressive.

Impressive is the right word to describe his month of May. Over a 26-game stretch, Soto slashed .281/.369/.615 with 10 home runs and 21 runs batted in. He finished off the month by recording at least one hit in 13 of his last 15 games. He raised his batting average from .269 to .305 over that stretch. With the Mets’ season hanging in the balance, Soto has done everything he can to get them back on track.

What he has accomplished individually during this run is remarkable. With Francisco Lindor on the injured list and Bo Bichette still looking to find himself offensively, Soto has very little protection in the heart of the order. That means opposing teams can pitch around Soto more often. Yet, he has still been able to do damage. Soto’s numbers and his push for an MVP could increase once Lindor and Bichette are back to being impactful.

The Mets have a long way to go. They are 26-33 and 5.5 games out of the third Wild Card spot in the NL. Over the next four weeks, the Mets will play the Braves and Phillies a combined 13 times. If they are going to get back into the race, Soto will have to continue to lead the way.