- Today
- Holidays
- Birthdays
- Reminders
- Cities
- Atlanta
- Austin
- Baltimore
- Berwyn
- Beverly Hills
- Birmingham
- Boston
- Brooklyn
- Buffalo
- Charlotte
- Chicago
- Cincinnati
- Cleveland
- Columbus
- Dallas
- Denver
- Detroit
- Fort Worth
- Houston
- Indianapolis
- Knoxville
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Louisville
- Madison
- Memphis
- Miami
- Milwaukee
- Minneapolis
- Nashville
- New Orleans
- New York
- Omaha
- Orlando
- Philadelphia
- Phoenix
- Pittsburgh
- Portland
- Raleigh
- Richmond
- Rutherford
- Sacramento
- Salt Lake City
- San Antonio
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Jose
- Seattle
- Tampa
- Tucson
- Washington
Mets Rely on Soto to Power Lineup After Alonso's Departure
Slugger must increase home run production to offset losses of Alonso and Nimmo
Mar. 3, 2026 at 3:23am
Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›
With the departures of All-Stars Pete Alonso and Brandon Nimmo, the New York Mets will need star outfielder Juan Soto to take on an even bigger offensive role in 2026. Soto is coming off a career-best 43 home run season, but the Mets front office is hoping he can further increase his power production to make up for the loss of the team's top run producers.
Why it matters
The Mets' short-term future is uncertain after losing key offensive pieces, so the team will be heavily reliant on Soto to anchor the lineup and provide the power necessary to reach the postseason. Soto's ability to maintain his plate discipline while increasing his home run totals will be crucial to the Mets' 2026 success.
The details
Soto hit a career-high 43 home runs in 2025, but the Mets lost sluggers Pete Alonso and Brandon Nimmo in the offseason. The team acquired solid hitters like Bo Bichette, Marcus Semien, and Jorge Polanco, but none are viewed as sure-fire stars like Alonso. As a result, the Mets will need Soto to take his game to an even higher level, continuing to display his elite plate discipline while also increasing his power production to make up for the departed offense.
- Soto hit a career-best 43 home runs in the 2025 season.
The players
Juan Soto
A 27-year-old All-Star outfielder for the New York Mets.
Pete Alonso
A former All-Star first baseman who departed the Mets in the offseason.
Brandon Nimmo
A former All-Star outfielder who also left the Mets in the offseason.
Bo Bichette
An infielder acquired by the Mets in the offseason to help bolster the lineup.
Marcus Semien
An infielder acquired by the Mets in the offseason to help bolster the lineup.
Jorge Polanco
An infielder acquired by the Mets in the offseason to help bolster the lineup.
Luis Robert Jr.
A former All-Star outfielder acquired by the Mets in a trade to provide additional power.
What they’re saying
“From an individual standpoint, any player at any point in their career, they would love to win an MVP. I think it [would] be really special — not just for me, for the Dominican Republic. I think it's going to be great to have another player be named as an MVP from the island. I think it's going to be really cool.”
— Juan Soto
“I feel like everybody tries to do better than what they did before. I would definitely love to be better around the bases and better around the outfield. Even hitting, I try to keep my hitting increased. Thank God I've been doing well the past couple seasons. I've been putting numbers up there, career highs and stuff like that. So I just want to keep doing the same thing. I try to be better year after year.”
— Juan Soto
What’s next
The Mets will be closely monitoring Soto's production and development throughout the 2026 season as they aim to return to the playoffs.
The takeaway
With the departures of Alonso and Nimmo, the Mets' success in 2026 will hinge on Juan Soto's ability to take his game to an even higher level and provide the power and run production needed to offset the losses of the team's former offensive cornerstones.
