Juan Soto did not tiptoe into the MVP conversation.
He kicked the door open.
When asked about competing with Shohei Ohtani for National League MVP, Juan Soto did not hedge or deflect.
“He better keep doing what he’s doing, because I’m coming.”
That is not offseason filler. That is a superstar publicly setting his target.
Ohtani has owned the award the past two seasons in the National League. He has the power numbers, the WAR totals, and now the return to full two-way duty looming. Soto knows all of that. He also knows the only way to beat a player like Ohtani is to put together a season so strong that voters have no choice but to think twice.
The numbers Soto is chasing
Ohtani’s offensive production last season was overwhelming.
Fifty-five home runs. A 172 wRC+. 7.5 WAR as a hitter alone.
That is MVP level before even factoring in what he could add on the mound in 2026.
Soto’s stat line was excellent in its own right. Forty-three home runs. A 156 wRC+. 5.8 WAR.
For most players, that resume is more than enough to win an MVP.
Against Ohtani, it finished second.
That gap is the reality Soto is addressing with his quote. He is not pretending the standard is low. He is acknowledging it and daring himself to meet it.
The second half version of Soto
If you split Soto’s season in two, the path becomes clearer.
Through late May, he was solid but not dominant. The power was down. The overall impact was good, not overwhelming.
Then he took off.
From May 30 through the end of the year, Soto was one of the most productive players in baseball. He led the National League in WAR during that stretch. He hit 35 home runs. He stole 31 bases. His 179 wRC+ topped the league among qualified hitters.
That is MVP production.
If that version of Soto shows up from Opening Day forward, we are talking about a legitimate 45 to 50 home run season with elite on-base numbers and high-end run creation.
That is how you start closing the gap.
Turning aggression into value
One of the biggest developments in Soto’s game last season was his running.
He tied for the league lead with 38 stolen bases and was caught only four times. That kind of efficiency changes games. It turns walks into doubles. It forces pitchers into mistakes.
Ohtani remains a threat on the bases, but if he is pitching regularly again, it is reasonable to expect his stolen base totals to level out.
If Soto pushes toward 40 steals again while maintaining elite power, his all around profile becomes impossible to ignore. A hitter who gets on base at a premium rate and then takes extra bases adds value in ways that traditional counting stats do not fully capture.
Defense has to hold up
Soto is not going to win the MVP on defense.
But he cannot lose it there either.
The defensive metrics have not always been kind, and that part of his game has been scrutinized. Improvement does not have to mean spectacular. It has to mean steady. It has to mean that his glove is not subtracting from what his bat and legs are adding.
Against a player like Ohtani, every margin matters.
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The pressure of the crown
The interesting part of Soto’s quote is not the bravado. It is the understanding behind it.
He knows Ohtani will produce. He knows the highlight moments will come. He knows voters are used to checking Ohtani’s name at the top of the ballot.
Soto is not asking for a stumble.
He is saying he plans to raise his own level high enough to make it a real debate.
If he delivers 45 plus home runs, pushes toward 40 steals, posts a wRC+ in the 170 range and plays steady defense over 162 games, the conversation changes.
“He better keep doing what he’s doing, because I’m coming.”
That is not just a quote.
It is the mission statement for Soto’s 2026 season.
