In his first season with the Mets, Juan Soto hit a remarkable milestone.
The $765 million slugger made history as the first player in the franchise to hit at least 40 home runs and steal 30 bases in a season, achieving this with a solo home run in the seventh inning on Saturday. However, the Mets bullpen struggled again, giving up a lead and losing 3-2 to the Rangers at Citi Field.
“It’s great… it’s really impressive,” Soto remarked.
Back in 1989, Howard Johnson had 41 steals and 36 home runs for the Mets, but no player had previously hit 40 homers while stealing 30 bases.
Soto, with a career-best of 32 steals, has also become the fifth player in Mets history to hit 40 home runs. He joins notable teammates like Pete Alonso, Todd Hundley, Carlos Beltrán, and Mike Piazza.
He is now the 16th player in MLB history to achieve at least 40 homers and 30 steals in a season. This elite group includes legends like Hank Aaron, Barry Bonds, and Alex Rodriguez.
“To me, that means a lot,” Soto said when discussing the milestone earlier this week. “It’s all part of your career journey. Ultimately, though, you have to focus on the team. If you can achieve that, it’s about helping the team as much as possible.”
Soto’s 40th home run came against Texas lefty Hoby Milner, giving the Mets a 2-0 lead. But the Rangers answered back in the eighth, scoring twice against Tyler Rogers and Edwin Díaz, ultimately sealing their win with an additional run.
Last season with the Yankees, the 26-year-old Soto recorded a career-high 41 home runs.
“It’s all the hard work we’ve been putting in since the season started,” Soto said, expressing gratitude for the contributions from his teammates. “I’m really appreciative of what everyone is doing here.”
Soto also recorded a single in the ninth inning, helping the Mets add another run. Unfortunately, they couldn’t clinch the victory again.
“100%… this is a playoff team,” Soto stated. “We must stay calm, keep our heads up, and have faith in ourselves and what we’ve built here.”
“We definitely believe in each other and are doing our best to start fresh, playing at our best every night.”
