Juan Soto has finally made his decision on who he will play for, it is the New York Mets. He has signed on a 15 year deal which is set to expire when he turns 41. It includes a 75 million signing bonus, on top of the 785m he will already be getting. This is the largest sports contract ever signed. Scott Boras helped Soto gained that big contract. There are no deferrals, and includes a opt-out every five year, in case he somehow gets undervalued by other players signing big contracts.

Now to learn more about to newest Mets player, read down below!

Juan Soto, who was born in October of 1998 from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He is an MLB outfielder, who has played with the Nationals, Padres and the Yankees. Juan Soto will likely add another team to his resume as he is currently a free agent. Juan Soto signed with the Nationals as a international free agent back in 2015, and made his professional debut in 2018 and also came in second for ROTY voting. In 2019, he helped the Nationals win a World Series over the Houston Astros. In the shortened 2020 season, Soto earned himself the NL batting title with a .351 AVG.

In 2017, Juan Soto was promoted to the Hagerstown Suns in the Class A South Atlantic League, where he started strong, batting .360 with three home runs in 23 games. However, he suffered an ankle injury in May, landing him on the disabled list. Despite his injury, he was ranked the second-best prospect in the Nationals’ organization and 42nd overall by MLB Pipeline. Soto returned briefly for rehab assignments with the Gulf Coast Nationals, hitting .320 in nine games before a hamstring injury ended his season. He finished 2017 with a .351 batting average, three home runs, and 18 RBIs.

In 2018, Soto continued to impress, starting the season with the Suns and hitting .373 with five home runs and 24 RBIs. He was quickly promoted to the Potomac Nationals, where he hit .371 with seven home runs and 18 RBIs. After 15 games, he was again promoted to the Harrisburg Senators, where he batted .323 with two home runs and 10 RBIs in eight games. On May 20, 2018, the Washington Nationals called him up to the major leagues to fill in for an injured Howie Kendrick.

MLB Career

Juan Soto made his MLB debut on May 20, 2018, at 19 years and 207 days, becoming the youngest player in the league. His first start the next day was memorable, as he hit a 422-foot, three-run home run off Robbie Erlin in his first plate appearance, making him the youngest player in Nationals history to homer. He quickly gained a reputation, becoming the youngest player since Ken Griffey Jr. to be intentionally walked.

In June, Soto was named the Nationals’ top prospect and hit a home run in a game that had been suspended in May, adding an oddity to his record. He had multiple multi-home run games and became the youngest player to steal three bases in a game, breaking Rickey Henderson’s record. By the end of the season, Soto posted a .292/.406/.517 slash line with 22 home runs, 79 walks, and 70 RBIs, setting several teenage records.

Soto won NL Rookie of the Month three times and finished second in Rookie of the Year voting behind Ronald Acuña Jr. Despite not winning the award, he made the 2018 MLB Japan All-Star Series team, further solidifying his status as one of the brightest young stars in baseball.

In 2019, Juan Soto continued to break records, becoming just the fourth player in MLB history to record 100 extra-base hits before his 21st birthday, joining Mel Ott, Tony Conigliaro, and Bryce Harper. He also became the seventh player to hit 30 home runs before turning 21. That season, he batted .282/.401/.548 with 34 home runs, 110 RBIs, and 108 walks, finishing in the top 10 in several key offensive categories.

Soto played a crucial role in the Nationals’ postseason run. In the NL Wild Card Game, he hit a bases-clearing single to give the Nationals a 4–3 lead over the Brewers. During the NLDS, Soto homered in Game 3 and delivered a clutch game-tying homer in Game 5, helping the Nationals eliminate the Dodgers and advance to their first-ever NLCS. Although he struggled in the NLCS, going 3-for-16, the Nationals swept the Cardinals to reach the World Series.

In the World Series against the Houston Astros, Soto made a significant impact. He homered in Game 1 off Gerrit Cole and hit a birthday homer in Game 3, fulfilling a prediction made by his father. Soto’s third homer of the series came in Game 6, a go-ahead solo shot off Justin Verlander to help force a decisive Game 7. The Nationals won the World Series, their first in franchise history, and Soto finished the series with a .333/.438/.741 slash line, 3 home runs, and 7 RBIs, leading the team in several categories.

Soto’s postseason performance earned him the 2019 Babe Ruth Award (shared with Stephen Strasburg), and he was also named to the All-MLB Second Team.

Juan Soto’s 2020 season was marked by both challenges and incredible performance. After testing positive for COVID-19 just before the season opener, Soto missed the first week of play but returned on August 4 following multiple negative tests. Despite the setback, he quickly returned to form, hitting a career-long 463-foot home run on August 10 and then surpassing it with a 466-foot homer on August 12. He was named National League Player of the Week on August 17.

Soto went on to win the National League batting title, becoming the youngest player in NL history to do so, with a .351 average. He also led all MLB hitters in on-base percentage (.490), slugging percentage (.695), and OPS (1.185)—marks not seen since Barry Bonds in 2004. Soto earned his first Silver Slugger Award and was named to the All-MLB First Team. Despite his historic individual performance, the Nationals missed the expanded playoff field.

In 2021, Juan Soto had another standout season. He hit a walk-off single in the Nationals’ first game of the year and was named to his first All-Star team, also participating in the Home Run Derby. Soto batted .313 with 29 home runs, 95 RBIs, and 111 runs scored. He led the league in on-base percentage (.465), walks (145), and intentional walks (23), solidifying his reputation as one of the most disciplined hitters in baseball. Soto’s 145 walks were the most in a season since Barry Bonds in 2004, and he had the best walk/strikeout ratio in the majors.

After the season, Soto earned a spot on the All-MLB First Team and won the National League Silver Slugger Award for the second consecutive year. He finished as the runner-up for the NL MVP, narrowly losing to former teammate Bryce Harper. Soto also became the sixth player in MLB history to finish as runner-up for both MVP and Rookie of the Year.

Despite receiving a 13-year, $350 million contract offer from the Nationals, Soto declined, stating he preferred to wait until he became a free agent after the 2024 season, though he expressed a desire to potentially spend his entire career in Washington.

In 2022, Juan Soto signed a $17.1 million contract with the Nationals to avoid arbitration. He reached his 100th career home run on April 12, becoming the youngest player in Nationals history and the eighth-youngest in MLB history to do so. During the season, Soto reportedly rejected a 15-year, $440 million contract extension offer from the Nationals.

Soto was named to the 2022 All-Star Game and won the Home Run Derby, becoming the second-youngest winner in history. On August 2, he was traded to the San Diego Padres in a high-profile deal that included several top prospects going to the Nationals. Just ten days later, Soto returned to Washington, where he received a standing ovation from the Nationals’ fans.

In 2022, Soto played 152 games combined between the Nationals and Padres, posting a .242 average with 27 home runs, 62 RBIs, and an MLB-leading 135 walks. His 20.3% walk rate was the highest in the majors, and he had the best walk/strikeout ratio. He also had the lowest swing rate on pitches outside the strike zone (19.9%).

Soto signed a one-year, $23 million contract with the Padres in January 2023. That season, he played all 162 games, hitting .275 with 35 home runs, 109 RBIs, and leading MLB with 132 walks.

On December 6, 2023, Juan Soto was traded from the Padres to the New York Yankees in exchange for Michael King, Drew Thorpe, Jhony Brito, Randy Vásquez, and Kyle Higashioka. Soto signed a one-year, $31 million contract with the Yankees, avoiding salary arbitration.

In 2024, Soto had a strong start to the season, earning American League Player of the Week honors twice, including a .435 batting average with two home runs in one week. He was named an All-Star for the fourth time, this time as a starting outfielder for the American League. Soto also had several career milestones, including a three-homer game on August 13 and a career-high 36 home runs by August 21.

On September 17, he hit his 40th home run of the season, becoming the seventh-youngest player in MLB history to reach 200 career home runs. Soto finished the regular season with a .288/.419/.569 slash line, 41 home runs, and 109 RBIs.

In the postseason, Soto hit a key three-run home run in Game 5 of the ALCS to help the Yankees reach the World Series. He finished the postseason with a .327 average, four home runs, and nine RBIs. After the World Series, Soto became a free agent.