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'He’s Putting up MVP Numbers,' MLB Insider Heaps Praise on Juan Soto Amid Criticism Regarding down Season with NY Mets

Originally posted on FirstSportz | By Vinay Dave | Last updated Sep 9, 2025 9:02 AM ET

An MLB insider recently heaped huge praise on Juan Soto and claimed that he was putting up MVP numbers. This comes amid criticism from many regarding him having a down first year with the New York Mets.

Soto was the hottest name in the MLB in 2024. Even before the season ended, it was likely that his next contract would be a record-shattering one. Following a career-high 41 home runs in the regular season with the New York Yankees and a runner-up finish in the World Series, Soto became a free agent.

In the weeks after the World Series, there were several rumors and reports about his next team. Eventually, he penned down a 15-year $765 million deal with the Mets.

Since then, the spotlight has been firmly on him. The Mets, under the ownership of Steve Cohen, have not been afraid to splash the cash as they try to return to the summit of MLB.

Soto and his team have experienced a mixed season. The Mets started off strong but would later suffer a midseason slump, which has left them chasing the Philadelphia Phillies for the top spot in the National League East.

Meanwhile, Soto has also suffered from inconsistent performances. At times, he was criticized for his hustle. He would also end up missing the All-Star Game this year as he was not selected. He has however, turned things around in the past few weeks.

Soto has been the top performer for the Mets and is edging closer to a historic 40/30 club. After 142 games, the Dominican international has 38 home runs and 29 stolen bases. With 20 games remaining, there is a good chance he crosses that mark.

MLB insider Ben Verlander heaped some praise on him on Monday. Taking to his X account, the former MLB star claimed that Soto is about to do something that has not been done this century.

Juan Soto is going to achieve something that hasn’t been done this century. And something only done a few times in HISTORY. 40 HR/ 30 SB/ 100 R/ 100 RBI/ 100BB Everyone loved hating on him for underachieving. Now he’s putting up MVP numbers
Ben Verlander on X

Juan Soto is going to achieve something that hasn’t been done this century.

And something only done a few times in HISTORY.

40 HR/ 30 SB/ 100 R/ 100 RBI/ 100BB

Everyone loved hating on him for underachieving. Now he’s putting up MVP numbers

Full convo: https://t.co/S2qa1W5gVN pic.twitter.com/DtaMhh8Giv
— Ben Verlander (@BenVerlander) September 8, 2025

Soto could do something that has not been done since 1999. He could become just the third player after Jeff Bagwell and Barry Bonds to finish a season with more than 40 home runs, 30 stolen bases, 100 runs, 100 RBI’s, and 100 walks.

Juan Soto and Mets suffer close 1-0 defeat against Phillies

The MLB season is coming down to its final stretch now. With just 3 weeks remaining in the regular season, teams want to avoid going on a long losing run. On Monday, Juan Soto and the New York Mets suffered a close 1-0 defeat against the Philadelphia Phillies which extended their losing run to 3 games.

Two weeks ago, the Mets took down the Phillies in a 3-game series and swept them. They would outscore their division rivals 25-8. They would then lose 3 out of the 4 games against the Miami Marlins before winning 2 out of the 3 against the Detroit Tigers.

This past weekend, the team suffered a crushing series loss against the Cincinnati Reds. After winning the first game, they lost the next 2 and ended up dropping the series.

On Monday, they started a 4-game series against the Phillies while being 7 games behind them. In a tight game, the only run came in the 2nd inning through a single from Nick Castellanos. This 1-0 loss turned out to be the 3rd straight defeat for the Mets and saw them fall 8 games behind their rivals.

The @Phillies shut out the Mets in their series opener.

Philadelphia now leads the NL East by 8 games pic.twitter.com/SMHjPdNdJe
— MLB (@MLB) September 9, 2025

Juan Soto would go 0-for-3 in this game with 1 strikeout and 1 walk. Meanwhile, Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola threw 6 scoreless innings, gave up just 3 hits, and picked up 7 strikeouts. The Mets now have a 3-game lead for the final wild card spot.

This article first appeared on FirstSportz and was syndicated with permission.

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