Inside The Mets

Analyst touts Mets’ Juan Soto as NL MVP candidate

Has Juan Soto played himself into the MVP conversation?
Logan VanDine|
Sep 3, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto (22) receives congratulations from teammates after he scores a run in the sixth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
Sep 3, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto (22) receives congratulations from teammates after he scores a run in the sixth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

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New York Mets

When the New York Mets paid Juan Soto a professional sports record $765 million this past offseason, they were imagining the offensive production that he is giving them right now.

Despite getting off to a slow start on his new team to begin the 2025 campaign, the superstar outfielder has strung together an amazing first season with the Mets and has played a pivotal part during New York's playoff push with less than 30 games to go in the regular season.

With Soto's recent emergence at the plate, this former player and current baseball analyst believes the 26-year-old has entered the MVP conversation in the National League.

Former player and current analyst on MLB Network, Mark DeRosa, declared on the latest episode of MLB Central on Wednesday that Soto's recent offensive turnaround has made him an MVP candidate.

"The whole narrative has changed," DeRosa said. "Get on his back, this is what you paid for, the numbers are gargantuan, he hits the grannie [grand slam]...he's in the NL MVP conversation."

Read More: Mets offense being carried by historic tear from Juan Soto

DeRosa may be on to something, as Soto has certainly gotten hot at the dish over the last several games for the Mets. Over his last 21 games in particular, Soto has a .303 batting average with 12 home runs, 28 RBI and an OPS of 1.196. He has also slugged five home runs over his last six games, including a grand slam that DeRosa alluded to on Monday when he drove in a season-high six runs against the Detroit Tigers.

While Soto was not an All-Star this year, he has been everything the Mets had hoped he would be after coming over from the cross-town Yankees. In 138 games thus far, the slugger has a slash line of .259/.399/.521 with 37 home runs, 91 RBI and an OPS of .920. Soto has also utilized his speed this season, swiping 27 bags (a career-high) to come within three steals of his first career 30-30 season.

Even though Soto may not end up winning the NL MVP when it is all said and done this year, with Kyle Schwarber having a ridiculous season with the Philadelphia Phillies and Shohei Ohtani building upon his already historic first season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Soto has certainly made the case over his last several games that he is having an MVP-caliber year.

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Logan VanDine
LOGAN VANDINE

Logan VanDine is a contributing writer for On SI's Mets. Logan is a graduate of Rider University where he majored in Sports Media and minored in Sports Studies. During his time at Rider, Logan worked for Rider's radio station, 107.7 The Bronc as a sports host, producer and broadcaster, and for the school's paper: The Rider News. He began his time with The Rider News as a section writer for sports and was a copy editor for two years followed by being one of the sports editors during his senior year. Logan also placed third in the New Jersey Press Foundation Awards for sports feature writing. Aside from his work at On SI, he is also a writer for FanSided covering the New York Giants and Mets and also covers the Giants for Total Apex Sports. Give him a follow on X: @VandineLogan

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