Mets’ Juan Soto shocks baseball with unexpected skill surge — will it last? originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Juan Soto did something remarkably well last season, but the New York Mets‘ superstar will have to prove it wasn’t a fluke.
Soto had never stolen bases like this. The 2026 MLB season will bring into the spotlight whether Soto is now all of a sudden a proven thief.
Even with a few guesses, could you remember how many bases Soto swiped in 2025? It’s almost certainly higher than you’re thinking.
He stole 38. It led the National League.
Soto’s previous career-high was 12, which he had done in both 2019 and 2023. Aside from that, all his seasons had been in the single-digits for steals.
And then he went out there and stole 38 bags. What in the world?
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Soto didn’t get faster. He got smarter and started taking advantage of opportunities given to him by pitchers and catchers.
He’s on first base a lot. That’s what happens when you lead the league in walks. Might as well turn some of those walks into doubles.
Soto was also caught just four times, making him 38-for-42. If he can do anything even approaching that, it adds awesome value for the Mets.
They won’t want him to put his body at risk too much, of course, but this is no fluke. You don’t steal 38 bases in one season on a whim. Soto clearly wanted to make that a part of his game, and he did so.
He wasn’t alone. The hefty first baseman Josh Naylor of the Seattle Mariners stole 30 bases in 2025, crushing his previous career high, and he’s even slower than Soto.
There’s a path to stolen bases for sluggers, and Soto has helped prove it. As the new season arrives, don’t expect his stealing prowess to disappear. Soto has clearly unlocked a new skill.
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