Both managers are amazed by Soto's recent slugging record

NEW YORK – When asked what he liked most about his right fielder, Juan Soto, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza didn't know where to start.

Soto has been the top hitter on the squad, especially in the previous 20 games since August 29. With 10 home runs and 24 RBIs, he has the best slash line in Major League Baseball: .368/.462/.829. Soto is showing how desperately he wants to make the playoffs.

Mendoza noted, "I could go a lot of different ways when talking about Soto." "It's something special when you talk about the numbers." When you look at the data, you can see that he is as good as some of the best players to ever play this game.

"To me, it's simply the person. It's how dependable he is all year long. He never panicked when things got hard at first, and he had to deal with the ups and downs. He is who he is because of how he affects the lads. "Special guy, special player."

Soto stood out in New York's 12-6 win over the Nationals on Friday night at Citi Field. His blazing bat made all the difference. He got two hits and two walks, scored two runs, and drove in three runs with one big home run.

New York stays two games clear of the Reds for the third and last NL Wild Card slot after the win.

This was a game that changed a lot. Brandon Sproat, a right-handed pitcher, gave Washington a 4-1 lead after 2 1/2 innings because the Mets' defense wasn't very good. But after pitching only four innings, Sproat got a no-decision when New York grabbed a lead it would never give up.

In the third inning, the Mets started to chip away. When Francisco Lindor hit a single off of Nationals left-hander Andrew Alvarez, they trimmed Washington's advantage to 4-2.

The Mets scored six runs in the next inning to go up 8-4. A two-run double by Francisco Alvarez knotted the game at four. Three batters later, New York had runners on first and second when Lindor hit a single to left field that brought in the go-ahead run off left-hander PJ Poulin. James Wood, the left fielder, made a mistake and let the ball go by him. This let Brett Baty get to third and Lindor get to second.

Soto came next and hit a three-run home run, making the score 4–0. This was his 42nd home run of the season, which is a new career record.

"That's the best batter in the big leagues." If you leave something in the middle, he will make you pay. "Execute your pitches," said Miguel Cairo, the Nationals' temporary manager.

After Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams hit a two-run homer to make it an 8-6 game in the next inning, the home shot turned out to be the game-winner.

Soto responded, "It feels great," when asked about his personal best in home runs. "A lot of hard work every day since the offseason, and it's paying off." It's great for every player. It feels amazing to win.

Soto might be in the top three for the NL MVP voting based on how the season has gone. Soto has a slash line of. .265/.397/.534 and 103 RBIs going into Saturday's game against Washington. Soto replied, "It was a great season," when asked to talk about it. I know I did wonderful things in the end. There was a hard time at the start. I really need to work on it. "I'll try to do better and go from there."

Soto can do more than just hit home runs. He has a lot of patience. This season, he has walked 121 times, which is four fewer than John Olerud's team record. He has 19 games with at least one walk and a homer, which tied Howard Johnson (1991) and Michael Conforto (2019) for the most in a single season by a Met. Soto has had five seasons with more than 120 walks, which is the fifth-most in Major League history. Barry Bonds (11), Babe Ruth (10), Eddie Yost (8), and Ted Williams (8) are the only players with more.

Mendoza stated, "I think it's a combination of everything he has done at the plate: his ability to control the strike zone, his bat-to-ball skills, his ability to hit righties and lefties, and his ability to drive the ball to all fields." "On top of that, he needs to be aware of what's going on and what the pitcher is trying to do to him. It's like a whole package in the batter's box. Nothing shocks me anymore. I think he will keep getting better. That's hard for me to believe.