New York Mets All-Star outfielder Juan Soto recorded just 400 at-bats during the recently completed Major League Baseball (MLB) regular season. Nevertheless, he hit 27 home runs and once again posted an OPS+ above 140, reaching his ninth consecutive season surpassing that mark. Only a select group of legends, including Albert Pujols and Ted Williams, have accomplished the feat, and now the No. 22 of the Queens-based club joins them.

The Mets had a disappointing season, plagued by injuries and underwhelming performances from several of their key players. In Juan Soto particular case, he missed more than 50 games and still managed to finish with at least 27 home runs for the seventh time in his career. In addition, since making his MLB debut, he has never failed to post an OPS+ above 140. Only three other legendary hitters have put together more consecutive seasons of that kind in Major League history.

According to research conducted by Swing Completo’s statistics department using Stathead, the record for the most consecutive seasons with an OPS+ of 140 or higher at the beginning of a career belongs to the legendary Ted Williams. The greatest hitter in Boston Red Sox history reached that mark in each of his first 17 Major League seasons, a record that will be extremely difficult to break.

In fact, second place belongs to Albert Pujols, who accomplished the feat in 11 consecutive seasons, well behind Williams. Next comes Johnny Mize with 10, followed by Juan Soto. Soto currently has nine, but he remains active and should have an opportunity to extend the streak in the coming years.

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Walks have been Juan Soto’s greatest offensive weapon

Juan Soto has drawn more walks than any other player in MLB history before turning 20 (79 BB), 21 (187), 23 (373), 24 (508), 25 (640), 26 (769), 27 (896), and 28 (974). According to Stathead, the previous record before age 29 was 1,003 walks, held by Mickey Mantle. The Dominican star will be 28 throughout the entirety of next season, making it very likely that he will also hold the record for that age.

Juan Soto high career OBP is largely the result of his extraordinary ability to draw walks. Since making his Major League debut with the Nationals in 2018, he has displayed remarkable patience and discipline at the plate. But let’s return to the beginning, to the magnitude and consistency he has shown when it comes to OPS+. Yes, because I believe the nine consecutive seasons with an OPS+ above 140 is the most impressive statistic of his career so far.

Juan Soto has shown remarkable consistency when it comes to OPS+

First, an important clarification: Juan Soto numbers at the end of the 2026 season show that he finished with a 157 OPS+, meaning he did indeed extend his streak to nine consecutive seasons with an OPS+ of 140 or higher since his debut. In addition, he owns a career OPS+ of 160, along with a .281/.415/.531/.946 slash line and 271 home runs. What makes it extraordinary is not only the level of production, but also the floor he has maintained.

An OPS+ of 140 means a hitter has produced offensively at least 40% above league average, while accounting for factors such as league and ballpark context. Juan Soto has not simply had several MVP-caliber seasons mixed in with ordinary years: his lowest OPS+ over these nine seasons has been 142. His sequence is: 2018 (142 OPS+), 2019 (142), 2020 (217, MLB leader), 2021 (175), 2022 (147), 2023 (155), 2024 (179), 2025 (160), and 2026 (157). We are not talking about a player who has been merely "very good" for nine consecutive years. We are talking about a hitter who has never fallen below a 140 OPS+ in any of his first nine MLB seasons.

Like every player, Juan Soto has experienced slumps at the plate, and fans have often criticized him because expectations are particularly high due to his massive contract. However, baseball legend Pedro Martínez defended his fellow countryman when Soto was going through an offensive slump last year.

The former Boston Red Sox pitcher wrote at the time on his official X account: "At one point I was the highest paid player and it took me some time to adjust. Nobody thinks about the human being behind the uniform. There are things that can distract you. We forget how young he is." Soto has gradually adapted to playing under that pressure and remains one of the best hitters in MLB.

Who is Juan Soto?

Juan Soto was born on October 25, 1998, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He currently represents the New York Mets in Major League Baseball and is the highest-paid player in baseball history. He began his Major League career with the Washington Nationals, the team with which he won a World Series championship in 2019. He later played for the Padres and Yankees.

The Dominican star owns the longest and most lucrative contract ever given to an MLB player. His six Silver Slugger Awards further establish him as one of the best hitters of recent years, particularly among Latin American players, while also placing him among the most important talents of his generation. Internationally, he represented the Dominican Republic in the 2023 and 2026 editions of the World Baseball Classic.

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