For the second year in a row, Juan Soto’s name is right where it belongs — among baseball’s elite. The New York Mets’ $765 million man has been named one of the three National League MVP finalists, joining Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers and Kyle Schwarber of the Phillies.
The Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) already cast its votes, and all that’s left now is the wait for November 13, when the winner will finally be revealed.
Soto’s First Year in Queens Was Worth the Hype
It’s easy to forget how bumpy things looked early on. Soto didn’t immediately light up Citi Field the way fans might’ve dreamed, and there were moments in April when he seemed to still be learning the rhythm of his new clubhouse. But by midseason, the superstar outfielder was doing what he always does — punishing pitchers, carrying an offense, and reminding everyone why he’s called “generational.”
He finished his debut Mets season with a career-high 43 home runs and 38 stolen bases, coming tantalizingly close to a 40-40 season that would have cemented his name in franchise lore. His 156 wRC+ ranked among the best in baseball, and his league-leading 17.8 percent walk rate showed that pitchers still feared him as much as ever.
Carrying a Flawed Team Further Than It Deserved
The Mets’ final record of 83-79 doesn’t jump off the page, but that number could have been much uglier without Soto. There were long stretches when he was the team’s only consistent source of power and energy, a one-man engine trying to drag a sputtering lineup into October.
Even as veterans slumped and injuries piled up, Soto never seemed to lose his edge. He scored 120 runs, second-most in the National League, and found ways to influence games even on nights when the hits weren’t falling. His plate discipline remains otherworldly — patient yet punishing — a mix that makes him one of the hardest players in the game to strategize against.
The MVP Race and What It Means
There’s no denying that Shohei Ohtani, healthy and mashing in Los Angeles, might have the inside track to the award. Schwarber’s home run binge in Philadelphia will also draw plenty of love from voters. But even if Soto doesn’t walk away with the trophy this year, his 2025 campaign was a statement of who he is and what’s still to come.
He’s already been an MVP finalist in both leagues in back-to-back seasons — with the Yankees in 2024 and now the Mets in 2025 — a rare feat that speaks to his consistency and adaptability. Few players in baseball history have carried that kind of offensive weight across multiple franchises and divisions this early in their careers.
Still Just 27 — and Still Getting Better
It’s almost unfair that Soto is only 27 years old. He’s already accumulated milestones most players spend a lifetime chasing, yet there’s a sense that he hasn’t even hit his ceiling. The Mets signed him to be their cornerstone, the face of their future, and year one proved exactly why.
Maybe this isn’t the year he finally captures the MVP trophy. But if history tells us anything, the day is coming. With Soto leading the Mets and entering his prime, it feels less like a question of if — and more like when.