2025 Report Card: Juan Soto, OF

Juan Soto

Player Data: Age: 26 (10/25/1998) B/T: L/L

Primary Stats: 715 PA, .263/.396/.525/.921, 152 H, 43 HR, 105 RBI, 38 SB, 127 BB, 137 SO

Advanced Stats: 156 wRC+, 19.2% K%, 17.8% BB%, .270 BABIP, .441 xwOBA, 5.8 fWAR, 6.2 bWAR

Grade: A-

2025 Review

Juan Soto signed the largest contract in professional sports history in December of 2024. Through the first two months of the season, his numbers paled in comparison to his previous years. His plate discipline was still there, but he hit just three home runs in April, then endured a three-week-long homer drought in May. Citizens of Panic City wondered if Soto would ever be the same without Aaron Judge batting behind him.

Then, all of a sudden, something clicked. Soto clubbed 11 homers and posted a 1.196 OPS in June, en route to winning National League Player of the Month. His OPS, which sat at just .745 on May 28, surged over .900 as the All-Star break approached. Yet, somehow, Soto was left off the NL roster for the Midsummer Classic. The naysayers awoke again after Soto briefly slumped to begin the second half, but he came alive in August, posting a 1.016 OPS with 18 homers from August 1 through the end of the season. For much of the first half, Soto struggled mightily with runners in scoring position, but in the second half, he batted .311/.482/.557 in those situations. Early in the season, fans were concerned as Soto’s groundball rate climbed near 60%, but from June 1 to the end of the year, his groundball rate was just 40.5%, and his flyball rate soared to 42.3%.

Overall, Soto led the majors with 127 walks – a Mets single-season record – and paced the National League with a .396 OBP. He slugged a career-high 43 homers, which ranked third in the NL, scored 120 runs, which trailed only Shohei Ohtani in the NL, drove in 105 runs, ranking third behind only Kyle Schwarber and Pete Alonso, and his .921 OPS ranked behind just Ohtani and Schwarber. Not known for his speed, Soto surprised almost everyone by swiping a career-high 38 bases, which tied Oneil Cruz for the NL lead. Soto managed this great season despite his BABIP dropping from .296 to .270 and underperforming his xBA (.300), xSLG (.628), and xwOBA (.441), all of which ranked in the 97th percentile or better in the majors.

Soto’s glove remained his biggest weakness. His negative-12 OAA and negative-7 DRS both ranked among the worst marks for outfielders in the majors. His negative-13 fielding run value was the worst of any right fielder with at least 500 innings at the position. Soto still displayed above-average arm strength and registered eight assists, which tied Tyrone Taylor for the most on the team. Soto also played in 160 games for the second time in his career – 157 of which came in right field.

2026 Preview

Some might consider 2025 a “down year” for Soto despite his career-highs in multiple counting stats. Entering his age-27 season, expectations will be even higher for Soto’s second year in Flushing. His supporting cast could look a little different, but his role seems to be set in stone – batting in the middle of the lineup and playing right field every day.

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