This will be little consolation to the New York Mets and their fans if a late-season collapse results in the team not qualifying for the postseason. However, Juan Soto has arguably lived up to the expectations set by his record-breaking contract during his first season in Queens.
Soto hit his 40th home run of the season in Saturday’s 3-2 loss to the Texas Rangers. That made him the first player to hit 40 homers for both the Mets and the New York Yankees.
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Last year, Soto hit 41 home runs for the Yankees, a career-high. With 13 games remaining on the regular-season schedule, Soto has a chance to surpass that. Yet if the Mets fall short of one of the National League’s six playoff spots, few at Citi Field may feel like bragging.
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Soto also has 32 stolen bases and 118 walks, which puts him in an exclusive trio. Only two other players have hit 40 or more home runs, stolen 30-plus bases and drawn 100 or more walks. Barry Bonds reached those numbers during the 1996 and 1997 seasons, and Jeff Bagwell did so in 1997 and 1999.
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In his first year with the Mets, Soto is the first player in franchise history to reach 40 homers and 30 steals in a single season. That feat was worthy of the bat flip he performed after going deep.
Additionally, Soto is now the ninth player to hit 40 home runs with different teams in consecutive seasons, according to MLB.com’s Sarah Langs. The previous eight batters to do so are as follows:
Shohei Ohtani: 2023 Angels, 2024 Dodgers
Nelson Cruz: 2014 Orioles, 2015 Mariners
JIm Thome: 2002 Indians, 2003 Phillies
Alex Rodriguez: 2000 Mariners, 2001 Rangers
Ken Griffey Jr.: 1999 Mariners, 2000 Reds
Rafael Palmeiro: 1998 Orioles, 1999 Rangers
Greg Vaughn: 1998 Padres, 1999 Reds
Andrés Galarraga: 1997 Rockies, 1998 Braves
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The Mets star also joins Cruz and Thome as the only players to hit 40 homers in his first season with a team more than once. Cruz did it three times with the Orioles, Mariners and Twins (in 2019).
Soto joined the Mets after signing a 15-year, $765 million contract, the largest deal in MLB history. Ohtani surpasses him in annual salary with the 10-year, $700 million pact he signed with the Dodgers. But in his first year of his $51 million average annual paycheck, Soto has put up superstar numbers.
Unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to prevent the Mets from an eight-game losing streak (and defeats in nine of their past 10 games) and a 21-30 record in the second half of the season that threatens to make them a very well-paid disappointment.
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