A simple reason NY Mets fans can expect even more from Juan Soto in 2026

Juan Soto didn’t exactly disappoint in his first season as a New York Met. 150 wRC+ and 21 homers in 79 games at Citi Field is still elite territory — but the version of Soto that arrived in Queens didn’t fully resemble the destroyer everyone expected. And honestly? That’s exactly why Mets fans should be even more optimistic heading into 2026.

Before he ever put on a Mets uniform, Soto basically treated Citi Field like a hitter-friendly cheat code. In just 35 games in Queens, he torched the place to the tune of a .333/.466/.709 line with a 204 wRC+ and 12 home runs in only 117 at-bats.

Why Juan Soto might be even scarier for the Mets in 2026

And as productive as he was in 2025, it didn’t quite mirror the Citi Field dominance he’d flashed before arriving. Slashing .261/.383/.521 is great for most players. For Soto, it’s the “baseline output while adjusting to yet another massive life change” version.

That's the simple truth at the heart of all this: he’s been living out of a baseball suitcase for three straight years…sort of. 

We know the story. Since 2022, Soto has been traded from the Nationals to the Padres, then shuffled again to the Yankees, and finally dropped into Queens with superstar expectations strapped to his back. That’s four franchises in four seasons, and somehow he’s remained one of the best hitters on the planet the entire time.

History already gave us the blueprint. When traded to San Diego in 2022, he was human for a bit — .236/.388/.390 in 52 games before leveling up to .275/.410/.519 over a full 162 the next year. Once he settles, the real Soto emerges. And the real Soto? He parks himself in the MVP race whether the voters like it or not.

Is he going to beat Shohei Ohtani right now? Probably not. There’s only so much a mortal can do. But entering his age-27 season, Soto is officially out of excuses, distractions, and address changes. He gets his first true year of comfort, with real consistency and continuity for the first time since the early post-pandemic years. A fully settled, fully integrated Juan Soto should be a different beast.

If the “adjusting on the fly” version puts up a 160 wRC+, Mets fans should be salivating at what the stable one might do. Citi Field hasn’t seen peak Soto yet. 2026 might change that in a hurry.