While New York Mets fans are thrilled to have four-time All-Star Juan Soto on their roster, one MLB scout claimed this week that they have one of the league’s most overrated players.
This was a very productive offseason for the Mets. They went into it aiming to fill several holes in the starting rotation and re-sign fan-favorite slugger Pete Alonso. Mission accomplished. However, all of those moves are secondary to one particular addition. The signing of former New York Yankees and San Diego Padres star Juan Soto.
In one of the biggest free agent chases in sports history, the Mets won with a history-making 15-year deal worth $765 million. While it is a shocking overspend, the belief by many fans and analysts is that he is one of the best players in the game. And New York is better by having him. There is no better proof than the massive role he played for the Yankees and their World Series run in 2024.
However, in a new report from The Athletic ranking the best players in the sport, while Juan Soto landed in the top tier, an MLB scout claimed he did not deserve to be considered among the game’s best.
New York Mets star Juan Soto compared to 2000s star Brian Giles?
“I don’t think Soto belongs up here,” the scout told the outlet. “He’s not good defensively and he’s not a good baserunner. He walks and he hits home runs every now and then. I’m not saying he’s not good, but for me, he’s one of the most overrated players. The way we value walks today is what puts him in this class.”
The same scout compared Soto to former Pittsburgh Pirates star Brian Giles. The 15-year veteran was a two-time All-Star who peaked in the early 2000s. During the best run of his career from 1999 to 2005, he posted a slash line of .303/.418/.554. In comparison, over the last seven years, Soto has a .285/.421/.532. slash line.
However, it must be noted Juan Soto has similar numbers in his first seven seasons in the game. It wasn’t until Giles was 28 when he really started rolling. So a case could be made Mets fans have not even seen the best version of Soto yet.
Furthermore, he helped win a World Series with the Nationals in 2019. And the Yankees don’t get to last year’s fall classic without him. His play in the postseason is another huge part of his resume.
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