On Wednesday, New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto closed in on joining Mickey Mantle in the history books. On Thursday, the book was open, Soto’s name was written in, and the ink was dry.
Soto picked up his 1,000 career hit in the Mets game against the Atlanta Braves. It came in the form of a line drive single to right field in the top of the first inning.
Not only that, Soto is part of a special class , including Mantle and Mel Ott as the only players with 1,000 hits, 200 home runs, and 700 walks before the age of 27, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
This season, Soto is batting .248 with 65 hits, 14 home runs, and 37 RBIs. In addition, Soto has 61 walks and an OBP of .387.
Meanwhile, the Mets are 45-29 with a one-game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League East. As for Soto, this isn’t his first time chasing The Mick.
In late May, Soto came close to Mantle in a unique category after the Mets defeated the Colorado Rockies 8-2. In that game, he went 1 for 3 with a home run and a walk.
Article Continues BelowAs a result, Soto rose to 5th on the all-time list for players with 103 games of having at least one home and a walk in a game before age 27. He was eight games behind Mantle, who had 115 games.
Juan Soto and the comparisons to Mickey Mantle
As hard as it is to compare anyone to Mantle, Soto does show a few similarities. Mantle was one of the best to hit both for average and power during his heyday.
Soto has those same qualities with his ability to hit home runs and get on base. Furthermore, Mantle was known for being aggressive on the base paths and possessing quite a bit of speed.
Soto can do the same on the base paths, whereas Mantle’s ability was often hampered by his long battle with injuries. Not only that, but Soto and Mantle are fan favorites and have a charismatic personality that makes them lovable players.
