Perennial MVP Candidate Signs with Mets
Juan Soto, the most coveted free agent in the 2024 class, has finally signed with the New York Mets. According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the deal is worth a whopping $765 million over 15 years. This signing will push the Mets even further into contention for the 2025 season, as Soto provides the team with a huge upgrade at the plate. Soto also has now found his permanent home after having been traded twice within the last three seasons.
Ever since Juan Soto came into the league, he has proven his worth at the plate. Finishing second in Rookie of the Year voting in 2018, Soto followed up in 2019 with a ninth-place finish in MVP voting. Since then, Soto has won five straight Silver Slugger awards and has finished in the top five in MVP voting twice, not to mention a sixth-place finish as well. Soto has not yet won an MVP, but at age 25, he will have many opportunities to do so before his contract is up. Soto has also not yet won a Gold Glove but was just nominated for his first in right field last season. In his first full season with the Yankees in 2024, the 2022 Home Run Derby winner mashed 41 home runs and delivered 109 runs batted in while batting .288 on the season. With a .285 career average and a former batting title in 2020, he will be able to provide the Mets with great at-bats near the top of the lineup all season. Soto also knows a thing or two about winning, as he has already appeared in two World Series, including last season’s edition, as well as a championship season with the Washington Nationals in 2019.
Ultimately, it is always risky to shell out the kind of money that the Mets gave to Juan Soto, especially for the length of his contract. With that being said, Soto is the best young hitter in baseball and is only looking to improve even further after his 7.9 WAR season in 2024. Furthermore, apart from his rookie season and the COVID season in 2020, Soto has played in at least 150 games in every season, proving to be quite a durable player. While there is always a possibility for injuries in the future, out of all the recent MLB players to receive mega contracts in free agency, keeping in mind Soto’s potential and track record, this may be the most justified one of them all.
