Winning MVP in any sport is rarely simple. Baseball is considered one of the few to crown two winners, one for every league, however even then the competitors is steep. The National League is very tough given the presence of Shohei Ohtani and since he will not decelerate for a number of extra years, the requirements have by no means been larger. If there’s any New York Mets participant with the pedigree to dethrone him, it is Juan Soto.
Even for a generational expertise like Soto, it is a tall process. He has been a top-five MVP candidate 4 instances in his eight-year profession however has by no means performed sufficient to take house the prize. He’s nonetheless projected to have another outstanding year however if he needs to lastly carry house the {hardware}, listed here are a number of things that must be on his to-do record.
Three musts for an MVP season out of Juan Soto
1. Improve outfield protection
Juan Soto has by no means actually been an excellent defender. The final time he posted a Defensive Runs Saved determine above common was in 2021. In the 4 seasons since, he is racked up -14. After signing a record-breaking deal in free company, many argued that it was an overpay as a result of he’d turn into a delegated hitter sooner slightly than later. It’s not what he would prefer however a number of extra seasons of poor fielding contributions might pressure the Mets’ hand.
If he enjoys taking part in the area as a lot as he does, then it would not harm to begin turning things round defensively. Although it is a completely different metric from DRS completely, his Outs Above Average factors to the greatest weak spot in his recreation which is a scarcity of vary. His -12 OAA in 2025 landed him in the 1st percentile of certified gamers. He does not need to be Steven Kwan or Alex Gordon however getting to league-average defensively can be a giant carry to his MVP candidacy.
2. Go for 50/50
Baseball loves arbitrary milestones. When Ronald Acuña Jr. obtained all 30 first-place votes for the 2023 MVP award, his 40/70 milestone was a serious storyline. Mookie Betts really edged him out barely in rWAR however his case was far too nuanced to overpower Acuña’s unprecedented statistical success.
Juan Soto wasn’t too far off a serious milestone of his personal. He hit 43 house runs and stole 38 luggage, each of which have been profession bests. The surge in exercise on the basepaths was significantly shocking since he hadn’t stolen greater than 12 luggage in any prior season. There’s an opportunity that he’ll cut back on the stolen bases in 2026 however reaching a threshold like 50/50 could also be too spectacular for MVP voters to vote towards.
3. Continue serving as the Mets’ energy generator
Last season, Soto simply barely edged out Pete Alonso to lead the workforce in slugging share (.525). Now that Alonso is gone and Francisco Lindor should still carry lingering effects from his hamate injury, Soto’s energy contributions will matter much more.
In 2025, the Mets had a mixed slugging share of .427, eighth in MLB. It was a giant a part of their lineup’s success however there aren’t as many energy bats in the lineup this 12 months. The workforce may even see a slight increase from having Bo Bichette in the infield however with an atypical first baseman in Jorge Polanco, Soto may have to bear the burden of being the workforce’s main slugger as soon as extra.
