Mets to Move Juan Soto to Left Field This Season

Juan Soto will be shifting to left field for the New York Mets this season, team president of baseball operations David Stearns announced on Tuesday. The move comes as the Mets prepare for spring training and finalize their roster plans. Soto has primarily played right field since 2021, but he does have experience in left. He was a regular in left field for the Washington Nationals in 2018 and 2019, starting 112 and 150 games respectively, including during their World Series-winning season in 2019. He transitioned to right field in 2021, starting 144 games there that year. Since then, Soto has largely been a right fielder, with a stint with the Padres in 2023 where he played 154 games in left field. Last season with the Mets, Soto recorded -12 Outs Above Average (OAA) in right field and ranked in the 66th percentile in arm strength. His best defensive campaign came in 2019, when he posted a +5 OAA as a left fielder. With Soto moving to left, the Mets will likely utilize Tyrone Taylor or prospect Carson Benge in right field.