As the New York Mets fight to secure a playoff berth, star outfielder Juan Soto is chasing history. With five games left in the regular season, the Mets hold the final National League wild-card spot by a single game over both the Cincinnati Reds and Arizona Diamondbacks — and Soto is on the verge of becoming just the seventh player in MLB history to record a 40-home run, 40-stolen base season.
The milestone seemed unlikely earlier this summer. Soto had just 15 stolen bases through the end of July, far off the pace. But the superstar outfielder has shifted into another gear over the past two months, swiping 21 bases since the beginning of August, including 16 over his last 30 games.
Soto already has the power numbers secured, with 42 home runs on the year. Now he sits just four stolen bases shy of the milestone. If he can get there, he would join Jose Canseco, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Alfonso Soriano, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Shohei Ohtani as the only players in MLB history to accomplish the feat. It would also mark the third consecutive season the league has seen a 40-40 performance, following Acuña in 2023 and Ohtani in 2024.
For the Mets, the combination of Soto’s pursuit and the playoff push adds extra intrigue to the final week. New York will wrap up a two-game set in Chicago before closing the season with three games in Miami against the Marlins.
With Soto pushing toward history and the Mets clinging to their spot in the standings, New York’s postseason hopes — and Soto’s personal milestone chase — will both be decided in the season’s final days.
