Juan Soto’s bat plays in all corners of the MLB universe, but over the course of his first seven seasons there’s been one venue maybe homier to him than the rest.
If the All-Star outfielder needed any additional selling points on the Mets in his meeting with team officials last month, there was this: Soto’s career 1.175 OPS at Citi Field is the highest of any ballpark in which he has played at least 20 games.
Soto, 26, has reached the final stages of a free agency that likely will be settled by the conclusion of next week’s Winter Meetings in Dallas.
Even more likely is a resolution by this weekend, according to industry sources, as he mulls offers — all in excess of $600 million, according to The Post’s Jon Heyman — from the Mets, Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays and Dodgers.
It is unclear which teams, if any from that group, have been eliminated from contention.
Already, Soto and Citi Field have proven to be a match — perhaps mitigating concerns about how an elite talent and ballpark not known as a haven for hitters might mesh.
Soto, in 35 career games at Citi Field — nearly half a home season — owns a .333/.466/.709 slash line with 12 homers and 26 RBIs. Most of that damage occurred playing for the Nationals from 2018-22.
“I just think he sees the ball really well there because it’s an excellent hitting background,” a scout from a National League club said. “It’s just really dark and hitters can pick up the ball well, so that could be a factor. I guarantee he sees the ball well there.”
A scout from an American League team concurred with that assessment.
“[Citi Field] has a great, super good hitters’ background,” the scout, a former major leaguer, said. “You can really see that, it’s just an instinctive thing for an ex-hitter to kind of notice that. [Soto] has great vision as a hitter and his selectivity is so exceptional that the vision and tracking the ball from release point, that is part of it for sure.”
Last season Soto hit a career-best 41 homers, but there shouldn’t be any worry about a significant drop-off in that category should he trade Yankee Stadium for Citi Field as his home address beginning next season.
According to Statcast, all but two of the 20 homers he hit at Yankee Stadium last season would have cleared the fence at Citi Field.
“You can drive the ball to right field and obviously Yankee Stadium is shorter, but Citi Field is also a good place for lefties to pull the ball,” the scout from an American League team said. “[Soto] is not just primarily a pull hitter, but the power of it — right center to the right field line — I think it’s favorable for the left-handed pull power hitter.”
Soto hit 35 homers (his career high before this season) for the Padres in 2023.
According to Statcast, the homer total — based on the trajectories and distances of those blasts — was nearly four higher than his expected total of 31.3. Last season, Soto hit 45 homers (including the postseason) and his expected total was 47.7.
“[Soto] can just line drive the ball out of any part of the park,” the scout from the National League team said. “He can go dead center with a line drive that just rises. He doesn’t try to manufacture lift. He’s got a great swing and he’s incredibly strong and he’s got great torque and leverage through his swing and uses his lower half really well. He’s not going to have any problem hitting anywhere.”