The New York Mets scored six runs in the fourth inning, during which Juan Soto set a new career high as he hit his 42nd home run of 2025, helping New York defeat the Washington Nationals 12-6 at Citi Field on Friday. The homer came off Nationals left-hander PJ Poulin and gave the Mets a lead they maintained for the rest of the game.
Soto went 2-for-3 with three RBIs, two runs scored, two walks, and a stolen base in the game, extending his already remarkable season. His 42nd homer surpassed his previous career high of 41, set last year with the Yankees, and moved him past Todd Hundley (1996) and Carlos Beltran (2006) on the Mets’ single-season home run list. The blast, a 419-foot drive to dead center at 107 mph, was his first season under a record-breaking 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets, making him the face of the franchise.
The homer also increased Soto’s RBI total to 103, seven shy of his personal best of 109 set in 2019 with the Nationals. Entering the game, Soto was slashing .265/.397/.534 with 119 walks, 34 stolen bases, and 116 runs scored, putting him in contention to set career highs in multiple offensive categories by the end of the season. Notably, Soto became the first Mets player to combine at least 40 home runs with 30 stolen bases in a single season.
The Mets trailed 4-1 after three innings, with rookie starter Brandon Sproat allowing four runs on four hits in four innings while striking out five. Mistakes in the field by Dylan Crews and James Wood allowed Francisco Lindor and Brett Baty to score. Brandon Sproat left with a no-decision as the Mets’ lineup answered back.
New York’s fourth-inning surge featured a two-run double from Francisco Alvarez, a go-ahead RBI single by Lindor, and Soto’s three-run homer. Lindor finished with three hits and three runs, while five Mets, Soto, Lindor, Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, and Starling Marte, collected multi-hit games. Alonso drove in runs with a first-inning bloop single and a third-inning two-out single, helping set the stage for the comeback.
The bullpen stabilized the game after Huascar Brazoban allowed a two-run homer to CJ Abrams, combining for 4 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. Brooks Raley, Ryne Stanek, Ryan Helsley, Tyler Rogers, and Chris Devenski each contributed to preserving the Mets’ lead. The offense added insurance in the seventh and eighth innings, with Nimmo and Luisangel Acuna driving in additional runs to push the final score to 12-6.
Soto’s season has been a symphony of talent and star power. After a tentative start in New York, he found his rhythm, earning National League Player of the Month in June and becoming the heartbeat of the Mets’ Wild Card push. Holding onto a razor-thin 1.5-game lead over the Reds, Soto’s bat could very well pen the tale that decides the Mets’ October fate.
