Inside The Mets

Mets legend reveals how he'd pitch to Juan Soto

A two-time Cy Young Award winner explained his strategy if he was to pitch against Juan Soto.
Grant Young|
Mar 3, 2025; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto (22) flies out in the first inning against the Miami Marlins at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
Mar 3, 2025; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto (22) flies out in the first inning against the Miami Marlins at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

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If somebody truly knew how to get New York Mets slugger Juan Soto out consistently or identify a genuine weakness of his at the plate, they'd be able to make a lot of money.

Luckily for Mets fans, that somebody does not exist. And that's precisely why they gave Soto $765 million in free agency.

However, few people on the planet have been better at getting the world's best hitters out consistently in their day than Johan Santana, a two-time Cy Young Award winner, four-time MLB All-Star, and three-time MLB ERA leader who finished his career with a 139-78 record, 3.20 ERA, and 1,988 strikeouts.

Santana spent four seasons with the Mets (during which he produced a 3.18 ERA) and threw the franchise's first-ever no hitter in 2012. After taking some time away from baseball once he retired in 2012, Santana has occasionally been back in the Mets' dugout during this season's spring training.

Read more: Carlos Mendoza reveals origin of Johan Santana's Mets reunion

This has allowed Santana to see Soto up close. And during a March 3 appearance on SNY's Honda SportsNite, Santana spoke out how he'd pitch to Juan Soto if he had ever faced him.

"Well, you know, with Soto you don't waste time, you don't waste pitches," Santana said, per an X post from SNY. "You basically give him a pitch to put in play, to drive. And then the sooner you get him out, the better. Because he's the type of hitter that will take one, two, three, ten pitches away from you.

"When you put all of those things together in three at-bats you might have against him, it's like taking maybe one or two innings away from you because of the way he's patient at the plate," Santana continued. "But for me, I would attack him right away, put the ball in play, get yourself out, and if you're gonna get on base, get on base, and then we'll turn two."

In other words, Santana's plan would be to hope Soto gets himself out — which is pretty much all a pitcher can hope for.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the New York Mets and Women’s Basketball for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years. He believes Mark Teixeira should have been a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee.

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