Could 2026 be the Juan Soto explosion we’re all waiting for?

The best of Juan Soto is still to come

It’s hard to believe that Juan Soto has been in MLB for eight seasons now. While he’s already a World Series champion and the highest-paid player in the league’s history, there’s still a youthful energy around the 27-year-old.

Outside of a minor blip on the West Coast, Juan Soto has been a dreamlike model of superstar consistency. He sports a career .948 OPS, which matches Cal Raleigh’s 2025 mark. In fact, Shohei Ohtani’s career OPS only leads Soto by a .008-point margin.

However, Juan Soto is coming off a comparatively low .921 OPS season in 2025. In his first year with the Mets, he slugged 43 homers but hit just .263, well under his career average of .282.

Following a strong World Baseball Classic showing, 2026 looks like a prime year for Juan Soto to go to the moon. Figuratively, of course. But hyperbole aside, we’re talking 50+ home runs and an OPS over 1.000—that caliber of season.

So, what’s to say that 2026 is that year?

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Top-tier quality of contact

You’ll quickly find a common trend among elite hitters: they all hit the ball hard. However, Juan Soto’s batted-ball data isn’t just “star material.” Instead, it was arguably the best in the National League in 2025.

In 2025, Juan Soto ranked second only to Aaron Judge in xwOBA—Statcast’s model that predicts batter value based on explicit batted-ball data. Soto’s mark of .429 cleared both of his NL counterparts, Shohei Ohtani and Kyle Schwarber.

His pure batted-ball data was impressive on its own:

• • 93.8 mph Average Exit Velocity (98th Percentile)

  • 18.1% Barrel Rate (97th Percentile)

  • 55.3% Hard-Hit Rate (97th Percentile)

  • .608 Expected Slugging Percentage (99th Percentile)

As you can see, Juan Soto deserves far more than the common phrase, “He hits the ball hard.” Soto’s power belongs in the elite tier, and it’s starting to show. Soto reached 40 home runs in both of his last two seasons, a feat he had yet to accomplish prior.

With his power in mind, it’s time to see what really separates him from the reigning NL MVP.

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Generational plate control

Juan Soto has always made headlines with the “Soto Shuffle,” but it’s as well-earned as any move you’ll ever see. Soto’s plate discipline and ability to control his smaller strike zone are things that always stand out on tape.

Opposing pitchers aren’t given any loopholes to strike out Juan Soto. He’s consistently a high-average hitter and walks more than any other player in the league. Take a look at his ridiculous walks by year:

• 2021: 145 walks

• 2022: 135 walks

• 2023: 132 walks

• 2024: 129 walks

• 2025: 127 walks

Paired with consistent hard contact, Juan Soto puts together some of the most competitive at-bats you’ll ever see. Part of his ability to hit over 40 home runs per year is his knack for finding his pitch deep in counts.

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A newfound skill

While most of these attributes have held strong throughout Soto’s career, one aspect of his game is completely new. That skill he found in 2025 was stealing bases, as he snagged 38 bags for the Mets.

While there’s plenty of tangible team value found in stealing bases, Soto’s new ability speaks even louder on his résumé. Now, with a breakout campaign at the plate, we could be looking at a 50-40 season from Soto.

In that scenario, Shohei Ohtani would actually feel outside heat in an NL MVP race. With elite-level power, contact, discipline, and stolen bases, the only area lacking would be Soto’s defense. If he could field at a league-average level, a monster year from Soto at the plate would vault him to the very top of the MVP conversation.