Mets' Juan Soto moves up all-time list, furthers historic pace with latest HR

New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto (22)/ IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Mets' Juan Soto moves up all-time list, furthers historic pace with latest HR

By Mike J. Asti | Last updated Sep 2, 2026 10:59 PM ET

It's no secret how consistent Juan Soto has been throughout his career.

His career numbers in his ninth MLB season support that and actually have him on an historic pace.

Soto even made history on Wednesday, hitting a home run in the eighth inning of the New York Mets' 10-4 win over the Rays on the road in Tampa Bay. His solo shot to help pad the Mets' big lead was his 23rd of the season and the 267th of his career.

Juan Soto is on an historic pace

Soto's most recent long ball tied him with Giancarlo Stanton for the ninth most of any player in MLB history before turning 28 years old. He's now 10 back of the legendary Mel Ott for eighth place on the all-time pre-28 list.

And while Soto's production has dipped from where it's been in recent seasons as the now 63-77 Mets are well out of the contention at the start of September, his place among the game's best shows the legacy he's building. Soto put up a new career-high in debut season with the Mets last year, crushing 43 off 577 at-bats in 160 games played.

That’s Juan Soto’s 267th career home run, tying Giancarlo Stanton for the ninth-most before turning 28

Mel Ott is next on the list in 8th, with 275 https://t.co/ELeIyNWbJw
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) September 3, 2026

Soto has endured a 2026 below the standard he's set in recent years

He even entered 2026 coming off back-to-back 40 plus-homer seasons, having hit 41 the year prior in 2024 as a member of the New York Yankees. He's also exceeded 100 RBI in three-straight years, but only has 55 so far this summer, although he's only experienced 310 at-bats and 89 games as well. He even only has seven stolen bases after leading the league with 38 one year ago.

Already a five-time All-Star and four-time All-MLB first-team secretion, Soto is building a career resume that may argue for the Hall of Fame if he keeps up his current pace. In addition to his 267 home runs, he has 752 RBI, 824 runs scored and 1,173 hits. Soto is also a six-time Silver Slugger, a National League batting champion (2020), stolen base leader (2025) and World Series champion (2019).

Mike J. Asti

Mike Asti is an experienced media personality and journalist with a vast resume and skillset, most notably from time with TribLIVE Radio and WPXI-TV. Asti now serves as the Managing Editor of WV Sports Now, where he leads the coverage of WVU sports. He has also covered the Steelers, Penguins, Pirates and other teams within the Pittsburgh market

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