The season might be over for the New York Mets, but the same definitely cannot be said for Juan Soto. Arguably the best player on the Mets squad, Soto helped his team snap a five-game skid while securing a rare personal record on Friday.
During the Mets’ 6-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies, Soto smashed a 428-foot home run off Orion Kerkering in the sixth. The massive shot marked his 26th long ball of the season, and 270th in his career. The 27-year-old became only the fourth player in major league history to record at least 270 home runs and 100+ stolen bases before turning 28. The last one to achieve the same was Mike Trout.
“‘The Fierce One’ has become only the fourth player in Major League Baseball history to reach 270+ HR and 100+ SB before turning 28 years old,” reported Wilber Sanchez on X.
The other two players to hit 270 home runs before turning 28 are the legendary Alex Rodriguez and Ken Griffey Jr.
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Soto had a record-setting performance against the Philadelphia Phillies last season also. On June 21, 2025, he hit two home runs in a single match and halted the New York Mets’ 7-game losing streak. He was 26 at the time. Soto surpassed Hall of Famer Jimmie Foxx’s record for the most multi-homer games (26) by a player before his 27th birthday. He recorded 27 multi-homer games before turning 27.
The Mets have signed Juan Soto as a free agent ahead of the 2025 season. He is under a massive 15-year, $765 million contract, the biggest in MLB history. Soto has established himself as one of the clubhouse leaders within the Mets organization.
Despite multiple injured list stints, Soto has been one of the brightest spots in the Mets’ devastating season. He is batting .274 with a .920 OPS in 444 plate appearances across 103 games.
Soto debuted late, on April 22, this season after recovering from a right calf strain. He landed on the IL again briefly in late July with a left calf strain. The Dominican earned his fifth All-Star nod this season but did not play. He was the only New York Mets player to earn it this season.
On Friday, he went 3-for-5, with one homer, 3 RBI, and a run against the Phillies. The Mets’ win kept the Phillies from securing the top spot in the NL Wild Card race. With an 85-69 record, the Phillies are tied with the Chicago Cubs and the San Diego Padres.
Bullpen game costs the Phillies top spot in Wild Card race
With the regular season almost over, the Philadelphia Phillies arrived in Queens for a four-game set against their division rivals, the New York Mets. On the verge of securing the top spot in the NL Wild Card race, the Phillies opted for a bullpen game, with Tim Mayza taking the mound in Game 2.
Despite being the worst team in the NL East, the Mets easily dominated Mayza on Friday. The southpaw reliever gave up a leadoff double to Francisco Lindor before retiring Juan Soto. However, he failed to complete the inning and surrendered back-to-back singles to Bo Bichette and Carson Benge, allowing Lindor to score. Mayza then battled Mark Vientos for five pitches and walked him to load the bases again.
Jose Urquidy inherited the runner but allowed AJ Ewing to drive in a two-run single before he ended the inning. Juan Soto added to the lead with his three-run home run in the sixth, and the Phillies never recovered with Zac Thornton on the mound.
In his 14th start of the season, Thornton threw 6.0 innings against the Phillies and took the win. He allowed 2 earned runs on 5 hits and 1 walk while striking out 4. The two runs included an RBI double from Bryson Stott in the top of the second and a home run by Edmundo Sosa in the sixth.
Derek Hill also homered in the seventh frame when relief pitching took over, but the Phillies failed to pull off a rally against the Mets.
Friday’s game highlighted the Phillies’ offensive troubles. The Phillies failed to score more than three runs for the fourth straight game. As a team, the Phillies are batting .231 over the last two weeks, from September 5 to September 19, per Statmuse.
With the series leveled, the Phillies and the Mets will play again on Saturday.