The New York Mets signed Juan Soto in hopes of receiving a stellar hitter who could make opposing pitchers struggle. They did not necessarily envision his impact going beyond the batter’s box, but the 26-year-old has found a way to impact games on the base paths.
Soto recently received the “Base thief of the Year” award from ESPN’s Jeff Passan, and the insider did not hesitate to comment on how surprised he was to give the young star this particular distinction.
“Of all the unbelievable things to happen in the 2025 season — the no-way-that-can-be-true, how-did-that-happen, you-got-to-be-kidding-me facts — this is unquestionably the wildest: Juan Soto leads MLB in stolen bases in the second half,” Passan wrote.
“Seriously, Juan Soto. The $765 million man. In 58 games since the All-Star break, Soto has 24 stolen bases — four more than runner-up Jazz Chisholm Jr. This season, Soto has swiped 35, nearly triple his previous career high of a dozen set in 2019 and 2023. And it's not as if Soto is leaving all kinds of outs on the basepaths; he has been caught just four times this season (though three of those are in September).”
The feat has come during what has been a stellar season for the four-time All-Star. Across 154 games, he has hit 42 home runs and posted a .934 OPS. According to Passan, Soto’s newfound base-stealing tendencies are partially a product of coaching.
“Credit is due in plenty of places. To Mets baserunning coach Antoan Richardson, whose work with Soto encouraged him to study the craft of stealing a base and trust his instincts,” Passan wrote. “To the Mets' late-season ruin that made every base seem that much more important. Most of all, to Soto, who, after signing the richest contract in professional sports history, refused to pigeonhole himself as someone defined by patience and pop and actively sought his most well-rounded incarnation yet.”
The Mets are 80-76 on the year and hoping to jump the Cincinnati Reds for the final National League Wild Card spot.
