Juan Soto projected to forget half of what he learned from popular NY Mets coach

The New York Mets finally found a way to turn base stealing into something other teams had to study — and of course, the guy who helped build it is now doing that work for Atlanta. 

Antoan Richardson wasn’t just a first base coach in 2025. He was the Mets’ stolen-base infrastructure. Under his watch, New York went a ridiculous 147-for-165 on steal attempts — an MLB-best 89.1 percent success rate that didn’t feel like a hot streak so much as a full-on organizational identity shift. 

And maybe the biggest surprise of all: Juan Soto became the face of it.

Mets can feel Antoan Richardson’s exit in Juan Soto’s 2026 steals projection

Soto has always been an on-base monster. The surprise was watching him turn into a menace once he got there. He finished 2025 with a career-high 38 stolen bases after never topping 12 previously, and multiple reports framed Richardson as a direct catalyst for that leap — the “stolen base guru” who tightened reads, jumps, and decision-making into something repeatable. Repeatable… unless the system leaves the building.

Richardson’s exit wasn’t about the Mets not wanting him back. It was about negotiations and value — Richardson himself described it as “different thoughts on my value” — and that disconnect ultimately sent him to the Braves.  That’s not just losing a coach. That’s handing a division rival your cheat codes… and a working understanding of how you ran your own guys.

Which brings us to the projection that should make Mets fans do the slow blink: Steamer has Soto pegged for 20 steals in 2026. Basically that’s the analytics version of saying, “Yeah, that 2025 running game? Don’t assume it sticks.”

To be clear: Soto didn’t magically forget how to run the moment Richardson packed up his office. But base stealing at that level is part talent, part obsession, and part daily reinforcement. It’s the film. The tendencies. The timing notes. The constant reminder that smart aggression is encouraged — and that getting thrown out isn’t a personal failure, it’s just information.

The Mets can still run in 2026. They still have athleticism. They still have a lineup that lives on the bases. But maintaining a league-best efficiency rate isn’t just a vibe — it’s a program. And now that program is wearing Braves colors.