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The New York Mets’ season is going to come down to the final days of the regular season. They are currently tied with the Cincinnati Reds for the final NL Wild Card spot, but the Reds have the advantage when it comes to a tiebreaker. It’s been a hard fall from grace for a team that once looked like they were well on their way to their second straight October appearance. The Mets had a firm grasp on the second Wild Card spot and were just a game behind the Philadelphia Phillies for the NL East division on August 1. On September 1, they still had a four-game lead over the Reds for the final WC spot. There have been plenty of extremely disappointing performances as of recently that have made us want to run into a wall, but at least not every Mets player has made us completely upset. Some have done their job, and then some.
Juan Soto makes us want to run through a wall
The Mets signed Juan Soto last offseason to a historic contract, and his first year has been nothing short of extraordinary. His 15-year deal, worth $765 million, is the longest and largest contract ever in professional sports worldwide. While some may say he is having a ‘down year,’ it’s hard to act as if that’s hyperbole, given just how good he has done.
In 706 plate appearances, Soto owns a .266/.396/.531 triple-slash. Soto topped his 2024 home run total of 41 with the Yankees, and has gone yard 43 times (and counting) this season. He has only struck out in 19.3% of his plate appearances, showcasing his trademark plate discipline with a 17.7% walk rate and a chase rate that is in the 100th percentile among all batters. But the most shocking part of Soto’s game is his 38 stolen bases in 42 attempts, for a success rate of 90.5%, giving him his first 30/30 season of his career.
Soto is at least holding up his end of the bargain in September. In 106 plate appearances, Soto has hit .330/.406/.659. He has gone yard eight times with an isolated slugging percentage just over .350 at .356. Soto continues to strikeout infrequently and draw plenty of free passes, with an 18.9% K%, and a BB% coming in at 12.3% BB%. Soto’s dozen stolen bases this month are the most by any player in baseball, even surpassing 2023 Rookie of the Year winners Corbin Carroll with eleven and Gunnar Henderson with ten.
Soto’s defense has definitely been lackluster. He has -7 defensive runs saved and -13 outs above average. But there’s no doubt that he has been one of the players who has helped keep the Mets afloat while the rest of the team continues to sink. Hopefully, the Mets don’t waste what has been an outstanding first season and an even better month of September from Juan Soto.