Juan Soto contract one year in

On December 8th, 2024, the New York Mets signed 26-year-old phenom, Juan Soto, to a whopping 15-year contract worth $765 million. It remains the largest contract in MLB history, beating out Shohei Ohtani’s 10-year, $700 million contract with deferred payments.

Soto is regarded as one of baseball’s biggest stars and has been considered one since his age-22 season when he finished second in MVP voting to Bryce Harper.

When the Mets signed Soto, he had just put up a near-8.0 WAR season for the other baseball team in New York. He helped lead the Yankees to the World Series with a 0.469 on-base percentage and four home runs in the playoffs, although they eventually lost to the Dodgers.

It was every bit a season that would make Soto worth the $765 million contract in the following offseason. Many speculated he would stay with the Yankees, but it was clear the Mets offered better treatment and more money.

His first impression with the Mets was shaky. Social media nitpicked words and body language to reason that Soto regretted signing with the Mets and wished to return to the Yankees. Though not true, Soto didn’t give Mets fans much indication he was happy.

In mid-April, the young phenom was asked what was different about hitting in Queens. “It’s different,” said Soto. “I had the best hitter in baseball hitting behind me.”

Soto was blunt, but honest. Pete Alonso is not the same caliber of hitter as Aaron Judge—though it may not have needed to be said.

Lots of drama surrounded Soto’s early months with the Mets, and his on-field performance was not helpful. Going into June, Soto was hitting .231, well below his career average, with a league-average on-base plus slugging percentage (.770). He was also playing a well-below league-average right field and fans questioned his hustle on the diamond.

Despite his sluggish start, the Mets were tied for the best record in the National League and held a one-game lead in their division. An odd situation where their best player was struggling mightily, but they were playing their best brand of baseball.

Soto turned his season around with an 11-home run June while batting .322 with a 1.196 OPS. It was a monster month — but not far-fetched for a player of his caliber.

In this time frame, the Mets lost their division lead and dropped to the fourth-best record in the National League. Yet another anomaly; Their best player is playing above his standards and the Mets still lost 15 of 27 games in June.

His second half, so far, has been up to the Soto standard. The slugger has posted a .403 OBP with 20 home runs and a near 1:1 BB/K ratio. In the second half, the Mets have lost, regained, and lost their division lead. They are currently fighting for the last NL Wild Card spot, despite their bullpen’s best efforts to miss the playoffs.

It’s been a funky season for Soto and the Mets; When one does well, the other does not. Early on, questions were raised about whether Soto is worth the $765 million given to him through his age 40 season — even recently, skeptics question the contract.

It’s difficult to determine a contract’s worthiness through one year. Bryce Harper didn’t make an immediate impact on the 2019 Phillies but two seasons later he won MVP. The Mets regressed as a ball club, but Soto has been every bit the player David Stearns paid him to be. Despite his slow start, Soto is currently 5th in wRC+, a metric used to estimate runs created, and will finish with a 6.0 WAR season.

He’s going to finish the season as one of the best hitters in baseball, as he has finished almost each season before. That’s what the Mets have paid him so much money for. For years to come, Soto will be one of, if not the best, hitters in the league, and old age won’t regress him.

Soto, as well as Lindor, provides a solid foundation for the Mets to build a championship window around. There is a chance they miss the playoffs this year, but the Mets have a top-10 farm system and have already debuted young pitchers that should be great for years to come.

It would be unfair to determine a 15-year contract as a bad investment based on the first year. Soto provides a top-of-the-lineup bat and is a demon in the postseason. If the Mets make it to October, Soto will certainly make it known he was worth every penny.

Sean Regenye is a third-year student majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email smr7279@psu.edu.