Juan Soto is heading into Year 2 with the New York Mets, and after missing the playoffs in 2025, the pressure is on everyone, including Soto, to get the team to the postseason in 2026.
Nonetheless, under that pressure, Newsday’s Laura Albanese shared an update on Soto, noting that the Mets star is showing a different personality during spring training.
“[Soto is] really settled because he’s got a whole year under his belt,” Albanese said in a Feb. 23 video from the “Why Am I A Mets Fan? Podcast.” “And he’s coming in, and he’s laughing with guys. He likes to play with the pitchers a little bit, like a cat-and-mouse game; he’ll argue balls and strikes during live batting practice.
“… He’s chatting with people [and] he’s joking with people. Even though he did these things last year, his personality is coming out more. One of the narratives that fascinated me last year was this idea that Soto was some diva or difficult to be around or whatever else. Meanwhile, all I know is my interactions with him, which were like, he’s funny. He’s sarcastic, but in a fun way.”
The outfielder is coming off a 2025 season in which he posted a batting average of .263 with 152 hits, 43 home runs, 105 RBIs, and 120 runs scored in 160 games, per StatMuse. With several key players leaving this past offseason, like Edwin Diaz, Pete Alonso, and Brandon Nimmo, Soto will be counted on to be a leader in the clubhouse.
Mets Seeing a Different Side of Juan Soto
Meanwhile, Albanese explained more about why the Mets are seeing a slightly different Soto this spring training compared to last year.
“The one thing that Aaron Boone used to always say about Juan Soto, in addition to all the other superlatives, was this: This is a guy who has fun,“ Albanese added. “He has fun playing the game. And maybe we didn’t see it all that much last year because he was still acclimating. People were like, ‘Where’s the Soto Shuffle? Where’s the Soto Shuffle?‘
“It was like this thing, like, ‘Oh my God, he hates being on the Mets.‘ He was just getting used to it. I think now that he’s used to where he is, maybe you’ll get to see a little bit more of the Juan Soto that I think is true to what his actual personality is.”
Juano Soto Talks About New Teammate Bo Bichette
One of the new faces in New York is former Toronto Blue Jays infielder Bo Bichette. In January, the Mets and Bichette agreed to a three-year, $126 million contract, per ESPN.
The contract includes player opt-out clauses after the first and second seasons and contains no deferred money, giving it a straightforward average annual value of $42 million.
With Bichette now in the mix with the Mets at least for this season, Juan Soto didn’t hold back his thoughts on his new teammate, who also brings World Series experience to the team.
“We’re going to have Bo,“ Soto said about having Bichette in the Mets lineup for added protection (h/t SNY). “Bo, I trust him. He’s a great hitter. Definitely, he can hit homers, and he can hit for average. So I think he’s a great protection.”
Mets Insider Gives Compelling Spring Update on Juan Soto