New York Mets OF Juan Soto Adding Big Stats to Career Resume
Since making his Major League debut on May 20, 2018, with the Washington Nationals, Juan Soto has been on a meteoric rise. Crushing pitches from the left side of the plate, Soto has captured individual and team milestones.
As he compiles career statistics that have him on track for the Hall of Fame, those in the hobby holding Soto cards are cheering him on as his cards remain highly sought after with hefty values on the secondary market.
Adding to the Value of Cardboard
Outside of the shortened 2020 season, Soto has put up fantastic numbers, wowing fans with his talents. His rookie season set the stage, hitting .292 with 22 home runs and 25 doubles in 116 games with 70 runs batted in.
The following year, Soto was over the 30-homer mark (34) and 100-RBI plateau (110), cementing himself as one of the game’s great young players. Helping his cause for a Cooperstown induction, the outfielder added a World Series to the resume in 2019 with the Nats. Soto crushed in the 2019 postseason, hitting .277 in 17 games with 5 HRs and 14 RBI.
Limited to 47 games in 2020, Soto led the league in batting average (.351), on-base percentage (.490), slugging percentage (.695), and OPS (1.185). For his efforts, the first of five consecutive Silver Slugger Awards were bestowed on Soto.
The 2021 season started another streak, four consecutive All-Star Game selections. That same season was the first of three years leading the league in walks (2021, 2022, 2023). In an absolute oddity, during the 2023 campaign, Soto struck out (129) nearly as many times as he walked (132).
The 2022 schedule added length to the career resume: career home run 100 and Home Run Derby champion.
Because an extended contract could not be reached with the Nationals, on Aug. 2, Washington traded one of the game’s best players to the San Diego Padres. The run in San Diego was limited to parts of two seasons covering a total of 214 games. With the Padres, Soto hit .265 with 41 total home runs and 125 RBI overall.
Ahead of the 2024 schedule, the Padres traded Soto to the Yankees. For $31 million, the Yankees got 157 games in 2024 from Soto, a .288 effort at the plate, a then career-high 41 homers and 109 RBI. Career home run No. 200 was notched.
Seeking that payday, on Dec. 11, 2024, Soto signed a 15-year, $765 million contract with the New York Mets.
One can argue that the Mets are getting a full effort from Soto in the first year of his new contract. While the batting average is not high (.267), he has been hot over his last 30 games, batting .336 with 11 dingers and 32 runs batted in. Soto has surpassed his career high in home runs, belting 42, with 104 RBI. If the season were to end today, he’d lead the league in walks (123) and OBP (.399).
On Saturday, Sept. 13, Soto joined rarified air becoming just the third person to hit 40 or more home runs, steal 30 or more bases, and collect 100 or more walks in a season. Barry Bonds (1996, 1997) and Jeff Bagwell (1997, 1999) are the only other players to accomplish the feat.
In the Hobby
A base 2018 Topps Update #US104 Juan Soto “Rookie Debut” RC can net over $3 raw with prices rising in graded form. Add a verified autograph with a BGS 9 slab, the asking price is just shy of $300.
The US104 had several variations in short prints: Mini Update, Black (/67), Father’s Day Blue (/50), Gold (/2018), and Independence Day (/76) to name a few. Per the Beckett Online Price Guide, values for cards like the Father’s Day Blue ranges from $300 to $800 with the Camo parallel bringing in $400 to $1,000 based on condition.
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