Juan José Soto Pacheco Bio
Juan José Soto Pacheco (born October 25, 1998) is a Dominican professional baseball outfielder for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball. He has previously played for the Washington Nationals, San Diego Padres, and New York Yankees. Soto is a six-time Silver Slugger Award winner, four-time All-Star, and the 2019 World Series champion with the Nationals. In December 2024, he signed a 15-year, $765 million contract with the Mets, the largest deal in professional sports history.
Early Life and Background
Juan José Soto Pacheco was born on October 25, 1998, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, to Juan Soto Sr. and Belkis Pacheco. He grew up with an older sister and a younger brother, Elian, who also signed with the Nationals as an international free agent in January 2023 and currently plays in their organization. His father worked as a salesman while playing catcher in a local men’s league, encouraging both sons to make baseball their passion. Soto is naturally right-handed, but his father encouraged him to throw left-handed for an athletic advantage.
Soto spent his childhood in the Dominican Republic, where he developed his love for baseball under his father’s guidance. The foundation built during these formative years would shape his future as one of baseball’s most disciplined hitters.
Path to Professional Baseball
Soto signed with the Washington Nationals as an international free agent for a $1.5 million signing bonus in July 2015. He made his professional debut in 2016 with the Gulf Coast League Nationals in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League, where he hit .368 with five home runs and 32 RBIs, earning league MVP honors. In September 2016, he was promoted to the Auburn Doubledays of the Class A-Short Season New York-Penn League, going 9-for-21 in six games.
Promoted to the Hagerstown Suns in 2017, Soto got off to a hot start before injuring his ankle in May. In July 2017, MLB Pipeline ranked him the Nationals’ second-best prospect and the 42nd-best overall prospect in baseball. He finished the 2017 season with a .351 batting average in limited action.
Entering 2018 as one of minor league baseball’s top prospects, Soto moved quickly through the system. He hit .373 in 16 games with Hagerstown before being promoted to Potomac Nationals, where he hit .371 in 15 games. After just eight games with the Harrisburg Senators in Double-A, the Nationals called him up to the majors on May 20, 2018, to reinforce their outfield after an injury.
Juan José Soto Pacheco Career
Washington Nationals (2018-2022)
Soto made his major league debut on May 20, 2018, becoming the youngest player in the majors at 19 years and 207 days, and the first player born in 1998 to appear in a major league game. The next day, on the first pitch of his first at-bat, he hit a 422-foot opposite-field three-run homer off Robbie Erlin, prompting a curtain call from the Nationals Park crowd. He became the youngest player in franchise history to homer and the first teenager to hit a home run in a major league game since Bryce Harper in 2012.
In June 2018, Baseball America named Soto the Nationals’ top prospect and the fourth-best overall prospect in baseball. He finished his rookie season batting .292 with 22 home runs, 70 RBIs, and 79 walks, setting numerous MLB teenage records. He won NL Rookie of the Month three times and finished second in NL Rookie of the Year voting.
In 2019, Soto played a pivotal role in the Nationals’ run to their first World Series championship. He batted .282 with 34 home runs and 110 RBIs during the regular season. In the postseason, his dramatic moments included a bases-clearing single against Josh Hader in the Wild Card Game and a game-tying home run off Clayton Kershaw in Game 5 of the NLDS. In the World Series, he hit three home runs including a go-ahead shot in Game 6 that helped force a decisive Game 7. He finished the series batting .333 with three homers and seven RBIs, earning the Babe Ruth Award.
Despite missing time in 2020 due to a positive COVID-19 test and an elbow injury, Soto won the National League batting title with a .351 average, the youngest player in NL history to do so. He led all qualified hitters in on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS, winning his first Silver Slugger Award and earning his first All-MLB First Team selection.
In 2021, Soto made his first All-Star selection and participated in his first Home Run Derby. He batted .313 with 29 home runs and 111 runs scored, leading MLB with 145 walks. He finished second in NL MVP voting and won his second consecutive Silver Slugger Award. Prior to the 2021-22 lockout, the Nationals offered him a 13-year, $350 million extension, which he declined to pursue free agency.
He was named to the 2022 All-Star Game and won the Home Run Derby, becoming the second youngest winner in event history. On August 2, 2022, the Nationals traded him to the San Diego Padres.
San Diego Padres (2022-2023)
The Nationals traded Soto and Josh Bell to the Padres in exchange for CJ Abrams, MacKenzie Gore, Robert Hassell, James Wood, Jarlín Susana, and Luke Voit. Ten days after the trade, Soto returned to Washington and received a 45-second standing ovation. In 51 games with the Padres that season, he hit .236 with six home runs. Combined with both teams in 2022, he played 152 games with 27 homers, 62 RBIs, and an MLB-leading 135 walks.
In 2023, Soto played all 162 games with a .275 batting average, 35 home runs, 109 RBIs, and an MLB-leading 132 walks. He reached the 2023 NLCS with the Padres, where they lost to the Philadelphia Phillies.
New York Yankees (2024)
On December 6, 2023, the Padres traded Soto and Trent Grisham to the Yankees for Michael King, Drew Thorpe, and others. In his lone season with the Yankees, Soto was spectacular. He was named AL Player of the Week twice during the season and was selected as a starting outfielder for the 2024 All-Star Game.
On August 13, 2024, Soto hit three home runs in a game against the Chicago White Sox, the first three-homer game of his career. He finished the season batting .288 with a career-high 41 home runs, 109 RBIs, and 129 walks, ranking second in MLB in walks. On October 19, he hit a three-run homer in Game 5 of the ALCS, propelling the Yankees to the World Series for the first time since 2009. The Yankees lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games, but Soto finished the postseason batting .327 with four homers and nine RBIs in 14 games.
New York Mets (2025-Present)
On December 11, 2024, Soto signed a 15-year, $765 million contract with the New York Mets, the largest in professional sports history. The deal included a $75 million signing bonus and a club option between 2030-2039.
On March 28, 2025, Soto hit his first home run as a Met, a solo shot off Hunter Brown, giving the Mets a 3-1 victory and their first win of the season. On June 19, he recorded his 1,000th career hit, becoming the 84th player to reach that milestone by age 26 or younger. He became the only player to record 1,000 hits, 200 home runs, and 800 walks before turning 27.
On June 26, Soto hit his 27th career multi-homer game, surpassing Jimmie Foxx for the most in major league history by a player before turning 27. He earned his first NL Player of the Month honor for June after batting .322 with 11 homers and 20 RBIs.
On September 9, Soto joined the 30-30 club, becoming the first player in 2025 and the fifth Met in history to finish a season with at least 30 homers and 30 stolen bases. He and teammate Francisco Lindor became the third set of teammates in MLB history to both achieve 30-30 in the same season. He finished 2025 batting .263 with a career-high 43 home runs, 105 RBIs, and a career-high 38 stolen bases, leading the NL in on-base percentage and stolen bases.
Playing Style and Strengths
Soto is renowned for his exceptional plate discipline, ranking fifth all-time in walk rate and 17th all-time in career on-base percentage among hitters with at least 4,000 plate appearances. During his 2018 rookie season, he developed the “Soto Shuffle,” a distinctive routine in the batter’s box that includes hip swings, leg wipes, taps, hops, and squats designed to unsettle pitchers. He employs a two-strike approach with a wider, lower stance and adjusted grip, allowing him to drive the ball to all fields effectively. His ability to hit for power to all fields is exceptional, having divided his first 69 career homers evenly between left, center, and right field.
Notable Events and Milestones
Throughout his career, Soto has accumulated remarkable achievements. He won the World Series in 2019, captured the NL batting title in 2020, won the Home Run Derby in 2022, and earned six Silver Slugger Awards. His $765 million contract set a new benchmark for professional sports. He became the second player in MLB history to win Silver Slugger Awards in three consecutive seasons with three different teams. His 145 walks in 2021 were the most in a single season since Barry Bonds in 2004. He led the major leagues in walk percentage three times and intentionally walked more than any other player.
Juan José Soto Pacheco Career Wins
Soto has accumulated numerous championship wins and awards throughout his career. His most significant achievement remains the 2019 World Series championship with the Nationals, where he earned the Babe Ruth Award for his postseason performance.
Championship and Award Highlights
His championship run in 2019 stands as a defining moment. In Game 1 of the World Series, he became the fourth youngest player to homer in a World Series. Game 3 fell on his 21st birthday, fulfilling a prediction his father made approximately 10 years earlier. His go-ahead home run in Game 6 off Justin Verlander helped force a decisive Game 7. In the 2020 shortened season, he became the youngest NL batting champion in history, posting a .351 average while leading the league in multiple offensive categories.
Silver Slugger and All-Star Honors
His six consecutive Silver Slugger Awards from 2020 through 2025 demonstrate sustained excellence. He earned All-MLB First Team honors four times in 2020, 2021, 2024, and 2025. His four All-Star selections from 2021 through 2024 reflect his status among baseball’s elite. He also led the NL in stolen bases in 2025 with 38, adding another dimension to his offensive game.
Juan José Soto Pacheco Family
Family Background and Baseball Lineage
Soto comes from a baseball family. His father, Juan Soto Sr., worked as a salesman while also playing catcher in a local men’s league in the Dominican Republic. He encouraged both his sons to pursue baseball and pushed young Juan to throw left-handed despite being naturally right-handed. Soto’s younger brother, Elian, followed in their footsteps and signed with the Nationals in January 2023, currently playing in their organization.
Personal Life
Soto has shown generosity with teammates regarding his preferred uniform number 22. After being traded to the Padres in 2022, he gave Nick Martinez a watch to secure the number. In 2025, after signing with the Mets, he gave Brett Baty a Chevrolet Tahoe with “thanks for #22” written on the rear windshield. When he first came to the United States, he devoted himself to learning English and was praised as an exceptionally dedicated learner. In 2021, he donated $200,000 to Dominican athletes competing in that year’s Summer Olympics.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season marked Soto’s first full season with the New York Mets following his historic signing. He made an immediate impact, hitting his first home run as a Met on Opening Day against the Houston Astros, giving the Mets a 3-1 victory. His Citi Field debut came on April 4 with an RBI double against the Toronto Blue Jays. He opened the season with an 11-game on-base streak, batting .279 during that span.
The season saw Soto reach several major milestones. On June 19 against the Atlanta Braves, he recorded his 1,000th career hit, becoming the 84th player to reach that milestone by age 26 or younger. He became the only player in baseball history to record 1,000 hits, 200 home runs, and 800 walks before turning 27. On June 26, he hit his 27th career multi-homer game, surpassing Jimmie Foxx for the most by a player before turning 27.
Soto earned his first-ever NL Player of the Month honor for June after batting .322 with 11 home runs and 20 RBIs. On September 9, he joined the 30-30 club, becoming the first player in 2025 and the fifth Met in history to achieve the feat, pairing with Francisco Lindor as the third set of teammates in MLB history to both go 30-30 in the same season. He finished the season batting .263 with 43 home runs, 105 RBIs, and 38 stolen bases, leading the NL in on-base percentage and stolen bases, and earning his sixth consecutive Silver Slugger Award.