United States – Juan Soto has made his mark on baseball history by becoming the fifth New York Mets player to join the prestigious 30-30 club. This Tuesday, Soto secured his place in history by stealing third base in the eighth inning of the game against the Philadelphia Phillies. This outstanding performance puts him in the company of figures like Darryl Strawberry, Howard Johnson (three times), David Wright, and Francisco Lindor, as the only players in the franchise to record at least 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in the same season.
It has definitely been the result of a lot of work since the beginning of the season. Antoan [Richardson] has done an incredible job. He has been helping me since day one. I give him all the credit. He is the one who put me in this position and in this place to achieve what I have achieved.
Juan Soto
A path of effort and dedication
Soto’s path to this achievement was built with months of dedication and intensive training, especially in base running, under the guidance of first base coach Antoan Richardson. The collaboration with Richardson boosted Soto’s aggressiveness and efficiency in stealing bases. The power of Soto has always been evident, as demonstrated by his 30th home run, hit on August 15th. Since the All-Star break, the Dominican has shown impressive speed, accumulating 19 stolen bases and 15 home runs in that period. The historic stolen base number 30 came in the eighth inning of the game, which the Mets ended up losing 9-3. Despite the disadvantage, Soto did not hesitate to take a risk, achieving his third stolen base of the game and demonstrating his exceptional skill, as he has only been caught three times all season.Soto is only two stolen bases away from entering the exclusive 40-30 club, an achievement rarely reached in MLB history. Soto’s impressive 2025 stats include 38 home runs and 30 stolen bases. For me it means a lot. It’s part of your career path. But in the end, you have to think about the team. If I achieve that, what we are trying to do here is help the club as much as possible. With this new brand, Juan Soto solidifies his status as one of the brightest figures in Major League Baseball and a key player for the Mets. Attention is now focused on his upcoming games, where he will seek to achieve the historic 40-30.Obviously, he’s a player you trust when it comes to making decisions. Reaching 30 is a great achievement for him, but if you ask him, it’s not about his personal stats. He’s focused on winning.
Carlos Mendoza
