Juan Soto’s 42nd Homer Sets New Career High

Juan Soto faced many questions and criticisms when he decided to leave the Bronx for the illustrious Queens.

How will he perform without the short porch? Can he match the same production without the mighty Aaron Judge? Even when he was struggling in the first two months, is he happy? Where’s the shuffle?

All ridiculous when looking through the blinding lights of hindsight.

Soto hit a new milestone Friday against his former team in the Washington Nationals. Right after the Mets had scored three in the bottom of the fourth to erase a 4-1 deficit, Soto crushed a three-run homer to top off a six-run inning.

The blast went to center field, barely missing a splashdown in the Apple. It went 106.9 off the bat, and traveled 419 feet over the head of Jacob Young.

Soto’s Friday night blast gave the Mets a comfortable 8-4 cushion, eventually leading to a 12-6 win over the Nationals in a tight National League wild card race.

But outside the impressive stature of the long ball and importance of the homer, it marked a new single-season high for Soto in homers. The lefty had set his single-season record last year at 41 with the Yankees, clearing his previous total of 35 by six.

“It feels great,” Soto said after the game on setting a new high for homers in a season. “A lot of hard work I’ve been putting in day in and day out since the offseason and been getting some results, it’s really good for any player. It feels great that we got the win, so it’s good.”

JUAN SOTO SETS A NEW CAREER HIGHpic.twitter.com/VA50ZpCzDV

— Metsmerized Online (@Metsmerized) September 20, 2025

Soto’s new milestone was the second of this season. Earlier in the month in Philadelphia, Soto stole his 30th base, securing the first 30-30 season of his career. With his 42nd homer last night, he joined Barry Bonds as the only players to hit 42 homers, steal 30 bases, and walk 120 times in a single season.

“The impact that he has there with the boys, that for me is what makes who he is,” Carlos Mendoza said postgame about Soto. “Special guy, special player.”

Along with his homer, Soto also swiped his 34th bag of the season. With eight games remaining in the season, Soto has a legitimate chance to join Jose Canseco (1988), Bonds (1996), Alex Rodriguez (1998), Alfonso Soriano (2006), Ronald Acuña Jr. (2023), and Shohei Ohtani (2025) as a member of the 40-40 club. It would be an incredible club to join, as Soto only had 57 stolen bases in his career entering 2025.

 

 

The post Juan Soto’s 42nd Homer Sets New Career High appeared first on Metsmerized Online.