Mets’ Juan Soto predicted to do something historic he’s never done before in 2026 MLB season originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Juan Soto has done many things in his MLB career.
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But one thing the New York Mets‘ superstar has never done is hit 50 home runs in a season.
If you ask ESPN’s Jeff Passan, this might be the year.
Passan wrote in a new article on Friday that it “wouldn’t surprise” him if Soto left the yard 50 times. His current single-season best for home runs is 43.
“While it’s a safe bet that he won’t book 38 steals again, Soto’s homer surge in recent years — from 27 to 35 to 41 to 43 — indicates a greater emphasis on power as he heads into his age-27 season,” Passan writes. “It’s easy to forget Soto is still young, still evolving, still figuring out the full extent of his baseball-playing powers. His greatness, at this point, is indisputable. Just how great Soto can be, and where his ample set of tools takes him, is for him to answer.”
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Soto is getting an ahead-of-time tune-up that’s a little different than a standard Spring Training, too. He’s representing the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic.
The D.R. team has one of the most fearsome baseball lineups ever assembled, and Soto is right at the heart of it.
He’ll obviously be at the heart of the Mets’ lineup this season, too. New York will be hoping for the best Soto can possibly provide.
At the end of last season, the Mets managed to collapse out of a wild card spot and miss the playoffs entirely.
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They obviously can’t afford to do that two years in a row. They’ve got too good a team for that to happen.
Soto will be the tone setter as one of the best hitters to ever step into a batter’s box. If he hits 50 homers, look out.
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