After a third-place finish for the 2025 NL MVP Award, which unanimously went to Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto has the Los Angeles Dodgers' star in mind entering Year 2 with the Mets.
"I'm going to be there every year, too," Soto said of being a yearly MVP contender, according to MLB.com's Anthony DiComo. "So he better keep doing what he's doing, because I'm coming."
Soto, 27, was a finalist after slashing .263/.396/.525 with 43 home runs and 105 RBI in 160 games for the Mets last season.
The 31-year-old Ohtani, meanwhile, is a back-to-back winner of the award since joining the Dodgers for the 2024 season.
"He's really good. He's really good," Soto said of Ohtani, who slashed .282/.392/.622 with 55 home runs and 102 RBI in 158 games at the plate and posted a 2.87 ERA in 14 starts on the mound in 2025. "I've just got to beat him. Definitely, it's not going to be easy, but I've got to find a way to beat him."
Beyond individual goals, Soto embraces his role as a member of New York's new core as works through his second spring training with the Mets.
"I feel like last year's offseason was kind of tough. I was going through a lot of ups and downs. Traveling a lot. Moving everywhere. Getting phone calls. Stopping workouts in the middle. It just wasn’t my best workouts," Soto said this past week, via SNY MLB insider Chelsea Janes. "This year, I could work a little harder and have a little more fun with it."
Soto progresses into March with an unselfish mindset in his move from right to left field on the Mets' retooled roster.
"I always work hard on defense," Soto said earlier this month. "I'm definitely going back to a place that I'm familiar with. I'm gonna feel comfortable there. I'm just going to work on my routes and work on the throws again, and I think I'll be ready to go. I think it's going to be great for the team, great for the guys who are going to play right field, guys who have been there."