Juan Soto is arguably under as much pressure as any MLB player heading into the 2025 season.
Though he’ll have plenty of help in a loaded lineup, Soto is expected to be one of the leaders in trying to bring the New York Mets their first NL pennant in 10 years and first World Series championship since 1986.
After spending the first four-plus seasons of his career with the Washington Nationals, one-and-a-half seasons with the San Diego Padres and the 2024 campaign with the New York Yankees, Soto spurned the Bronx Bombers to join their crosstown rivals via a record-breaking 15-year, $765 million contract over the winter.
While the Mets stacked lineup also includes All-Star shortstop (and 2024 NL MVP runner-up) Francisco Lindor, All-Star first baseman Pete Alonso, power-hitting third baseman Mark Vientos and outfielder Brandon Nimmo, New York recently lost starting catcher Francisco Alvarez to a fractured hamate bone. Alvarez is expected to miss six-to-eight weeks.
The Alvarez injury only adds to the pressure on Soto, but the four-time All-Star outfielder is also opening the door for possible immense scrutiny due to a recent interview with ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
In the wide-ranging interview, Passan asked Soto who he thought the best hitter of all-time was. Without any hesitation, the 26-year-old answered himself.
“Myself, until you prove me wrong,” he said.
Soto Names Other Top Hitters He’s Admired, Studied
Passan offers Babe Ruth, Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Rogers Hornsby, Ted Williams, Ty Cobb, Willie Mays or “dozens of others” as more commonly viewed options for the “best hitter of all-time” label in his article. The insider claims that their “accomplishments, to this point in his career, dwarf Juan Soto’s.”
The Dominican-born lefty didn’t take back his response, but did mention who else who believes should be in the conversation.
“Freddie Freeman,” Soto said. “I feel like he’s one of the best hitters I’ve ever seen. There’s a lot of guys that have (long) careers like (Albert) Pujols. Mike Trout has been having great years. But the guy I see every day since I’ve been in the big league has been Freddie Freeman.”
It makes sense that the Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman has made a lasting impression on his counterpart. Freeman and the Dodgers handily defeated Soto and the Yankees in five games during the 2024 Fall Classic, with the 2020 NL MVP earning World Series MVP honors.
The Dodgers roster is even more loaded than the Mets, and Freeman is a key reason why Los Angeles enters the campaign with historic odds to repeat as champions.
Soto’s Resume Shows He’s Ready to Back up Historic Contract
Soto has a long way to go to even be considered in the same ballpark as Bonds, Mays, Ruth, Williams and company, but he’s off to a good start.
He’s approaching the eighth year of his big-league career and in addition to the four All-Star nods, Soto’s also collected five Silver Slugger awards, one batting title and most importantly, a World Series crown.
Soto’s registered at least 5.1 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) in each of his campaigns except 2018 — when he made his MLB debut in late May — and the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. He led the league with a 7.3 WAR in his 2021 NL MVP runner-up campaign and has been remarkably durable while patrolling the corner outfield spots, suiting up in at least 150 contests every year since 2018, excluding 2020. Soto is rarely in the lineup as a designated hitter too, appearing as a DH just 20 times in 936 regular season games.
From strictly a batting perspective, he’s gone over 100 runs scored three times (career-high, league-leading 128 last season) and posted more than 100 RBI thrice as well. Soto’s widely regarded as the most patient hitter in the sport, so his counting stats could be even higher, but he’s led the league in walks in three seasons too.
His .285/.421/.532 slash line across 3,280 regular season at-bats covering 936 contests is elite and Soto’s come up big in the playoffs as well. Through his 2019 World Series run with the Nationals, advance to the NLCS with the Padres in 2022 and AL pennant with the Yankees last year, the richest man in baseball has recorded 11 home runs, 30 RBI and a .281/.389/.538 triple slash over 43 postseason contests.
Another batting title, a triple crown and/or a regular season MVP award could push Soto closer to GOAT status, but all fans in Queens are hoping for is a World Series championship.
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