Juan Soto Shatters Records with Monster 3-Homer Game—See the Jaw-Dropping Highlights & What It Means for the Yankees

Flushing, N.Y. — Juan Soto’s first swing of April sent a 412-foot message over the right-field wall at Busch Stadium, staking the New York Mets to a 1-0 lead and launching what already feels like an MVP campaign for the 27-year-old superstar. Through the season’s opening week, Soto has recorded at least one hit in every game, extending his hitting streak to seven and electrifying a lineup that finished just shy of the postseason last year. His early surge—.417 average, 1.286 OPS and a National League-leading 11 RBIs—underscores why the Mets invested a record-shattering 15-year, $765 million contract in the Dominican phenom before the 2025 campaign, eclipsing Shohei Ohtani’s previous benchmark deal with the Dodgers. Yet money isn’t the only motivator. Speaking at spring training, Soto made it clear he has his sights set on dethroning Ohtani for the 2026 NL MVP award. Early returns show he’s backing up the talk: his revamped leg-kick timing mechanism has tightened plate coverage, while a winter emphasis on lateral quickness is paying dividends in left field, a position president of baseball operations David Stearns confirmed would be Soto’s full-time home this season. What makes Soto’s hot start even more intriguing is its ripple effect on the rest of the roster. Francisco Lindor, now batting ahead of Soto, is seeing a 12-percent bump in pitches in the strike zone, while Pete Alonso is already pacing the majors in runners in scoring position opportunities. Manager Carlos Mendoza credits Soto’s “patient aggression” for forcing opposing staffs to abandon breaking-ball-heavy game plans in favor of get-me-over fastballs—mistakes Soto rarely misses. The schedule provides an early litmus test: nine of the Mets’ next 12 games come against division rivals Atlanta and Philadelphia, both projected top-five pitching staffs. Should Soto continue to dominate, he could join Mike Piazza (1999) and Carlos Beltrán (2006) as the only Mets to post an OPS above 1.200 through the end of April. Beyond individual accolades, Soto’s presence is reshaping short- and long-term expectations in Queens. Ticket demand has spiked 23 percent compared with last April, and the club’s regional sports network reported its highest Opening Day ratings since 2015. With the Citi Field left-field stands newly dubbed “Soto’s Corner,” marketing executives are already brainstorming a July bobblehead night modeled after his signature shuffle. For now, though, the focus remains on the field. If Soto keeps pairing tape-measure drives with highlight-reel catches, the conversation won’t just center on whether he can outduel Ohtani for MVP honors—it will turn to whether the Mets can ride their new franchise pillar all the way to October glory.