New York Mets superstar Juan Soto is giving his teammates plenty of credit for keeping the club competitive through an injury-filled 2026 campaign, emphasizing that the team’s struggles cannot simply be blamed on the absence of its biggest stars.
Soto made the comments after the Mets defeated the Miami Marlins 7-5 on Tuesday night, a victory powered by home runs from Soto, Francisco Lindor and Brett Baty. Soto’s performance included a three-run blast and a double, while Lindor opened the scoring with a leadoff homer as New York built a large early advantage.
Rather than focusing on what the Mets might have accomplished with a completely healthy roster, Soto directed attention toward the players who were forced to carry greater responsibilities while key contributors were unavailable.
Soto Salutes Mets Teammates
Soto acknowledged that he and Lindor are important pieces of the Mets’ lineup, but he stressed that baseball is not a sport in which everything will always go according to plan.
The Mets’ two offensive leaders have spent significant portions of the season dealing with injuries, preventing the club from consistently putting its preferred lineup on the field. Soto’s comments highlighted how other players stepped into larger roles whenever the team’s stars were sidelined.
That has included players such as Carson Benge, A.J. Ewing, Jared Young, Brett Baty, Bo Bichette, Marcus Semien and Francisco Alvarez, all of whom have been asked to provide production at different points of the season.
The Mets have also had to deal with injuries elsewhere on the roster. Jorge Polanco underwent season-ending ankle surgery, further increasing the pressure on the club’s remaining position players.
Soto and Lindor Rarely Had the Chance to Play Together
Perhaps the biggest frustration for New York has been the lack of time its two franchise offensive cornerstones have spent together.
Soto opened the season by missing approximately three weeks because of a right calf strain. He returned in April, only for Lindor to suffer a left calf strain that kept him out for roughly two months.
Soto later experienced another calf problem, this time a Grade 2 left calf strain, that forced him to miss approximately five weeks. He eventually returned to the Mets’ lineup on August 29, giving New York another opportunity to see what its lineup could look like with its two biggest stars healthy.
The repeated interruptions made it difficult for the Mets to establish lineup continuity. Instead of Soto and Lindor anchoring the offense every night, other players repeatedly had to move into unfamiliar roles and absorb additional at-bats.
Soto Returns With Immediate Impact
Since returning from his latest injury, Soto has quickly reminded the Mets why his presence remains so important.
Against Miami, he crushed a 417-foot three-run home run off Sandy Alcantara, giving New York a commanding lead. He also added a double and scored another run as the Mets built a 7-0 advantage before Miami mounted a late comeback.
The performance was another indication that Soto is getting closer to the form New York expected when it signed him to a historic long-term contract.
His return has also coincided with a much better stretch of baseball for the Mets.
Mets Suddenly Playing Better Baseball
Tuesday’s victory improved New York to 67-78 and gave the Mets their fifth win in their last six games. They have also won three consecutive games, despite spending much of the season buried in the NL East standings.
Interestingly, the Mets have played significantly better since the trade deadline. Their late-season surge has included strong contributions from both established veterans and younger players.
Recent reports have noted that New York has gone 19-12 since the Aug. 3 trade deadline, a stretch that has featured strong performances from Soto, Lindor, Bo Bichette and several emerging young players.
That improvement has complicated the organization’s evaluation of the season. While the Mets’ postseason hopes have largely disappeared, the late surge has provided valuable evidence that the roster may have more potential than its overall record suggests.
Young Players Have Been Forced to Grow Quickly
Soto’s praise is particularly meaningful because several young Mets players have been thrown into important roles earlier than expected.
Carson Benge has received opportunities in the outfield, while A.J. Ewing has been asked to contribute offensively. Francisco Alvarez has continued to develop behind the plate, and young pitchers such as Nolan McLean, Christian Scott and Zac Thornton have received opportunities to demonstrate what they can offer the organization going forward.
McLean, in particular, has emerged as one of the most encouraging developments of the season. He recently improved to 3-0 with a 1.08 ERA over his previous four starts, showing why the Mets are increasingly interested in giving their younger pitching talent significant opportunities.
Soto’s Message Goes Beyond One Game
Soto’s comments also provide insight into the atmosphere inside the Mets’ clubhouse.
Instead of suggesting that the season would have been dramatically different if he and Lindor had remained healthy, Soto chose to recognize the players who continued competing when the roster was depleted.
That message is particularly important for a team already looking toward 2027.
The Mets entered 2026 with enormous expectations and one of baseball’s most expensive rosters, but injuries and inconsistent performance derailed those ambitions. Now, the final weeks of the season have become an opportunity for the organization to determine which players deserve larger roles next year.
Mets Have Something to Build Around
Despite the disappointing season, there are legitimate reasons for optimism.
Soto remains one of the most dangerous hitters in baseball. Lindor continues to provide elite production and leadership. Young players such as Benge and McLean have gained valuable major-league experience, while the pitching staff is beginning to reveal potential pieces for the future.
The Mets’ recent success also suggests that the roster is capable of playing much better baseball than its overall record indicates.
The challenge for president of baseball operations David Stearns will be determining whether the late-season improvement is a genuine foundation for 2027 or simply a strong finish from a team with little postseason pressure.
For Soto, however, the message is clear: the players who kept showing up while the Mets’ stars were injured deserve recognition.
The Bigger Story
The 2026 season has been frustrating for Mets fans, but Soto’s comments shift the focus toward one of the organization’s more encouraging developments.
The club has discovered that several players are capable of stepping up when circumstances demand it. Injuries forced the Mets to experiment, younger players received opportunities, and veterans were asked to carry greater responsibility.
Now that Soto and Lindor are back together, the Mets can finally get a better look at what their lineup is capable of when its two biggest stars are healthy.
Their 7-5 victory over Miami showed the possibilities. Soto delivered a three-run homer, Lindor launched a leadoff shot, and Baty added another home run as the Mets built enough of a cushion to survive a late Marlins rally.
The postseason may no longer be the realistic objective, but the Mets are gaining something almost as valuable: information about which players can help them return to contention next season.
And according to Soto, the teammates who helped carry the club through its injury crisis deserve a significant share of the credit for that progress.
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