Mets slugger Juan Soto hits career-high 42nd homer in first year of $765 million contract

NEW YORK (AP) — Brandon Sproat answered a question about Juan Soto with a question.

“What is there not to be impressed about?” Sproat said Friday night of his superstar teammate, after Soto hit his career-high 42nd homer to cap a six-run fourth inning that vaulted the New York Mets to a 12-6 win over the Washington Nationals.

Soto reached the milestone in the first year of his record $765 million contract with the Mets. Last year, he hit 41 homers in his lone season with the crosstown Yankees.

Soto is the 12th player to hit 40 homers in consecutive seasons with different clubs. The group includes Hall of Famers Ken Griffey Jr. and Jim Thome as well as Alex Rodriguez and Shohei Ohtani, the latter of whom hit 44 homers for the Los Angeles Angels in 2023 before going deep 54 times last season for the Dodgers.

“I think it’s great whenever they mention my name around some Hall of Famers and guys that played this game for a long time,” Soto said. “I’m really proud to be part of it and be in that exclusive group.”

The 419-foot, three-run shot to straightaway center gave Soto 103 RBIs this season, seven shy of his career high set with the Nationals in 2019, and continued a monthslong resurgence.

Battling the early-season elements at pitcher-friendly Citi Field, Soto hit just .231 with nine homers, 27 RBIs and seven stolen bases through May 31. But he is batting .286 with 33 homers, 76 RBIs and 27 steals in 30 attempts over his last 95 games.

“I haven’t minced my words about how this ballpark plays in April and May and he just fell victim to that — and we all do,” said left fielder Brandon Nimmo, the Mets’ longest-tenured player.

The 26-year-old has 121 walks, four shy of the franchise record set by John Olerud in 1999. He has homered and walked in the same game 19 times, tying the team record held by Howard Johnson (1991) and Michael Conforto (2019).

“The best hitters in this league, they do damage when you come over the plate,” Nimmo said. “And when they don’t, they take their walks and they don’t swing outside of the zone. And he’s done an amazing job of that again this year. I continue to be in awe of it as a peer of his and knowing how hard it is and how easy he makes it look.”

Soto, whose career high for steals entering this season was 12, joined the 30-30 club Sept. 9 and is the first Mets player with 40 homers and 30 steals in a season. He is also the third player in big league history to collect at least 40 homers, 30 steals and 100 walks, joining Hall of Famer Jeff Bagwell as well as Barry Bonds.

“He’s just a complete package there at the batter’s box,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “At this point, nothing surprises me anymore. And I feel like he’s going to continue to get better. For me, that’s pretty unbelievable.”

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