{"id":103171,"date":"2025-09-23T07:32:36","date_gmt":"2025-09-23T07:32:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=103171"},"modified":"2025-09-23T07:32:36","modified_gmt":"2025-09-23T07:32:36","slug":"%f0%9f%91%80%f0%9f%91%80%f0%9f%91%80exclusive-soto-steals-the-show-youve-seen-the-homers-and-the-walks-but-now-juan-soto-is-flashing-speed-on-the-basepaths-insiders-say-this-new","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new365.azontree.com\/?p=103171","title":{"rendered":"\ud83d\udc40\ud83d\udc40\ud83d\udc40EXCLUSIVE: SOTO STEALS THE SHOW \u2014 You\u2019ve seen the homers and the walks, but now Juan Soto is flashing speed on the basepaths, insiders say this new wrinkle adds a dangerous dimension to his game, and fans are buzzing about whether this evolution makes him the most complete threat in baseball."},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Sencillo<\/p>\n

Eight years into his career,\u00a0Juan Soto<\/a>\u00a0has done so many remarkable things.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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He had a 142\u00a0OPS+<\/a>\u00a0as a 19-year-old rookie in 2018, meaning he was 42% better than league average, offensively. He hit five home runs and drove in 14 runs during a 2019 postseason run that included his 21st birthday. He\u2019s had numerous postseason moments, won a batting title and Home Run Derby.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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But this year, Soto added a new wrinkle along with the power and walks we have come to expect from him. He\u00a0steals bases now<\/a>, too.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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With that addition on top of his typical plate production, this season has been particularly remarkable for Soto.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Here\u2019s what makes his 2025 season so historic.<\/p>\n

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The new twist: Soto stolen bases<\/strong>
\nUnder the tutelage of coach Antoan Richardson, Soto is up to a career-high 35 steals. His top mark entering 2025 was 12, in both 2023 and \u201819.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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He\u2019s in the 86th percentile in baserunning run value with three baserunning runs. He previously never had more than zero baserunning runs in a season. In fact, he has two seasons with minus-three baserunning runs, including just last year. If he finishes at three or more, where he currently stands, Soto will be the first player with multiple seasons of minus-three baserunning runs or fewer and at least one season with three or more since Statcast began tracking (2016 for this metric), per MLB\u2019s Jason Bernard.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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But the increase itself isn\u2019t what makes this season so historic. It\u2019s the combination of this newfound stolen base prowess with Soto\u2019s power and plate discipline, which is his calling card.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Soto has a career-high 42 home runs. He has 123 walks, three shy of setting a Mets\u2019 single-season record. Put that all together and there\u2019s only one other player on the list.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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He\u2019s the second player in MLB history with at least 40 home runs, 35 stolen bases and 100 walks in a season. The other is Barry Bonds, in both 1996 and \u201897.<\/p>\n

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Just to reiterate, a player who is off to one of the best starts to a career we have seen through his ripe current age of 26 \u2026 found yet another way to be historic. Remarkable.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The expected: Soto homers & Soto walks<\/strong>
\nWe would be remiss if we didn\u2019t mention all the other historic things Soto is doing this year — again, with the fact he added a new, valuable element to his game as a backdrop, too.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Let\u2019s start with the homers and walks noted above. This is Soto\u2019s fifth season with at least 25 home runs and 120 walks. That\u2019s already the fourth-most in MLB history, behind Bonds (11), Babe Ruth (10) and Ted Williams (eight). Soto\u2019s have come in each of the last five seasons, the second-longest such streak in seasons played behind Williams\u2019 six straight from 1941-42 through 1946-49 (military service from 1943-45).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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