Juan Soto Returns to Left Field for the 2026 Season
The Mets have confirmed that Juan Soto, the outstanding Dominican player, will defend left field during the 2026 season. David Stearns, the club’s president of baseball operations, made this announcement at the start of spring training.
Soto, who has mostly played in right field since 2021, will return to a position he knows well from his beginnings in the Major Leagues.
In 2018, Soto started 112 games in left field, and in 2019 he was a starter in 150 games in that position. That season, the Nationals won their first World Series.
After that stage, Soto moved to right field in 2021, where he has played almost exclusively, with the exception of 2023, when he played 154 games in left field with the San Diego Padres.
In 2025, Soto recorded -12 Outs Above Average (OAA) as a right fielder with the Mets, although he ranked in the 66th percentile in arm strength. His best defensive performance was in left field, where he accumulated +5 OAA in 2019.
With this change, the team seeks to improve its outfield defense. The right fielder position could be occupied by Tyrone Taylor or prospect Carson Benge, while Soto focuses on providing defensive stability and maintaining his offensive impact.
This adjustment represents a new stage for the Dominican in New York, with the expectation that it will allow him to maximize his overall performance in the 2026 season.
