Until now, most critiques of Juan Soto in 2025 have focused on his early struggles with the New York Mets. Throughout the season, analysts and fans alike pointed out his struggles to hit with runners on base, his middling defense in right field, and rare lapses in hustle. He was also criticized by Michael Kay for his reasoning for not participating in the All-Star game. However, nobody anticipated he’d face criticism over how old he really is.

WFAN’s radio host Brandon Tierney publicly questioned whether Soto is truly 26 years old or not. “Honestly, does [Soto] look 26? Does he? Look, I’m being honest… But does he look 26? When you’re 26, you still have a youthful glow. Does he look 26?” It immediately prompted a frenzy on social media.

Fans have been digging into Soto’s old pictures and countering Tierney’s theory. That one post that relatively stood out and gained the most traction was by an X user on @thebenchesclear.

He quote-tweeted Tierney’s comments and a 2017 picture of Juan Soto when he was with the Hagerstown Suns. He noted, “Here’s Juan Soto with the Hagerstown Suns in 2017, when, according to these people, he was already in his mid-twenties.” He pointed out the absurdity of Tierney’s claim.

Soto is currently being questioned about his loyalty. He’s been accused of starting his major league career with a blatant lie. According to Tierney, Soto is closer to his 30s, and he refuses to buy that he’s 26. Plus, he also expressed his relief at Soto switching sides and joining the cross-town rivals. Opposing his conspiracy theory, many gave examples of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 23-year-old phenom, Paul Skenes. They pointed out that Skenes looks 35 and doesn’t have the “youthful glow” Tierney is referring to.

During the same show, a guest defended Soto by pointing out that Soto has been a part of the major leagues for over seven years. He added that Soto had a youthful glow early in his years. Tierney did not hold back and countered. “I got it, and I can’t prove it. But listen, in my mind, while I don’t know for sure, I think that there’s a chance, a good chance, he’s not 26. I’ll say it. Whatever.”

It’s one thing to analyze Soto’s stats, behavior, and style of play, but it’s entirely another to openly speculate and doubt his age. Still, it’s not the first time Soto has been called out for his age.

March 2025’s rumor around Juan Soto’s real age

Juan Soto didn’t even take his first at-bat for the New York Mets when social media was buzzing with speculations about his real age. The claims were floated that the 26-year-old is, in fact, a 33-year-old veteran. It all started when a parody account @MLBONFAX reported that they had “confidential documents” proving Soto’s real age.

Just like now, it immediately went viral that time, sparking immediate controversy. However, let’s just clear the air that Soto is well-documented as the Mets star was born on October 25, 1998. Beyond the age-related controversy, Soto is putting up impressive numbers.

As of Friday, his batting average sits at .252 with 30 home runs, 70 RBIs, and .883 OPS. Meanwhile, the Mets, holding a 64-58 record, are in the third and final wild card spot in the National League. Soto is indeed their crucial piece for their playoff run.

For now, it doesn’t seem surprising that he is being dragged into the “real age” speculations. Being a widely recognized world-class athlete in the Mecca of baseball, New York, it’s easy to become a target of any criticism. Ever since arriving in Queens, he has received more than his fair share of negative analysis. From being blamed for missing the Yankees to being booed at Yankee Stadium for his first outing as a Met, Soto has fought through it all calmly.