Last Updated on September 14, 2025 by Matt Musico
It doesn’t matter how much time passes for New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto. He’ll probably hear people yelling “overrated” or “overpaid” wherever he goes for the rest of his career. That’s the cross he bears after signing a $765 million contract last winter.
I’m sure he’s OK with it. I know I would be.
But for all the talk at the start of 2025 regarding him being unhappy in Queens and the production not being up to fans’ standards, he’s doing just fine. Actually, better than fine, but we’ll get into that in a minute.
Team owner Steve Cohen told us it’d be fine, too.
“I’m not worried about Juan,” Cohen said, via SNY’s Danny Abriano at the end of April. “He’s singularly focused on baseball. He’s a pure hitter. Let’s have this discussion at the end of the year.”
The end of the regular season is on the horizon. And based on Soto’s stats, he’s having the type of year many would expect. In fact, it’s on the verge of being historic.
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Juan Soto Is Having a Historic Season
At the time of this writing, Soto is slashing .264/.398/.529 with 40 home runs, 32 (!) steals, 98 RBI, 114 runs scored, and 119 walks. If he can get to 40 homers and 100 RBI for the second straight year, it will be quite the unique campaign, as Joshua Gingrich noted last week on X (formerly Twitter):
If Juan Soto gets to 40 HR, 30 SB and 100 RBI this year, it would be one of the most complete seasons since 2000.
40 HR, 30 SB, 100 RBI, 100 R and 100 BB has not been done this century. The only times it’s happened:
Bonds in ‘96 & ‘97
Bagwell in ‘97 and ‘99 pic.twitter.com/M9be2iPqtY— Joshua Gingrich (@GingrichSports) September 1, 2025
Not bad for a guy who many were saying was having a down year back in May/June, right? Soto is now a National League MVP Award contender and has surpassed the 5.0 fWAR plateau for the fifth time in his career (third year in a row) despite not going to the All-Star Game.
I looked through the comments of the above post on X and noticed someone mentioning that Soto’s stolen-base total is only a product of MLB’s pace-of-play rules that went into effect across the league in 2023.
That’s certainly something to keep in mind — the new rules have changed the game and have made steals much more common. But still… new rules or not, players still have to go out on the field and get it done.
Entering 2025, Soto had stolen 10-plus bases just twice in his career: 12 in 2019 and 12 in 2023. He swiped just seven bags in 2024 for the New York Yankees. Clearly, something has clicked in Queens for Soto on the basepaths. It could be a one-year aberration, but that shouldn’t matter, either.
Soto’s Slow Start and Strong Finish
Panic City was alive and well in Queens through the end of May regarding Soto. Although New York was 36-22 and tied with the Philadelphia Phillies atop the NL East standings, there was concern about Soto.
He slashed .231/.357/.413 with nine homers, 27 RBI, and 36 runs scored through his first 255 plate appearances. That’s far from terrible, but Mets fans weren’t expecting a .770 OPS from their $765 million man. Plus, there were plenty of rumors floating around about him regretting choosing the Mets over the Yankees last winter.
Fast-forward a few months, and it seems like that’s not a problem anymore. Although the Mets have dealt with struggles while trying to remain in control of their postseason destiny, Soto has been as advertised for New York.
He’s slashed .285/.424/.605 with 31 homers, 70 RBI, 77 runs scored, and 25 steals in 400 plate appearances between June 1 and September 14. And his 1.029 OPS during this time is better than what he did in the Bronx last season (.989).
Regarding the “Soto is unhappy” comments/rumors, I never bought it. We can get so wrapped up in what’s happening on the field every night that it’s easy to forget that these guys are humans just like us (they’re just insanely good at baseball).
I hate making mistakes at work and/or having a bad day at the office. But at least I don’t have 40,000 people booing me when I do! Soto was getting used to different surroundings with a new club, along with all the expectations that come with signing such a big contract.
The adjustment period is different for everyone. But it seems like he’s much more comfortable in Queens now, and the timing couldn’t be better.
Heating Up at the Perfect Time
The left-handed slugger has found an extra gear as the season winds down and the Mets need him to be Juan Soto now more than ever.
His month of August included a .277/.435/.574 line with 10 homers, 22 RBI, 27 runs scored, and 11 steals in 131 plate appearances. That’s continued into September, as he boasts a 1.202 OPS with three homers and 13 RBI through his first 55 trips to the plate this month.
The Mets will need every bit of Soto down the stretch to return to the postseason after a magical 2024 run that ended in the NLCS. As of this writing, they’re holding onto the final NL Wild Card spot with a one-game lead over the San Francisco Giants (and with the way they’ve been playing lately, it’s a miracle they’re even in control of their own destiny right now).
Regardless of what happens with the team the rest of the way, I think it’s safe to assume that rumors of Soto being unhappy or regretting his choice to sign with the Mets have been officially put to rest.
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