Juan Soto relishes chance to represent Mets in fifth All-Star Game
· Yahoo Sports
ATLANTA — Juan Soto, one of the few outliers in the Mets' discouraging 2026 season, will be representing the National League in this season's Major League Baseball All-Star Game on July 14 in Philadelphia.
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The league announced the starters on Saturday night, with Soto set to line up alongside the Dodgers' Andy Pages and Phillies' Brandon Marsh in the NL's outfield.
It will be Soto's first All-Star selection as a member of the Mets and fifth overall. He has appeared three times with the National League - twice with the Nationals and once with the Padres - before making his lone appearance for the AL in 2023 as a member of the Yankees.
"It’s always great. I got to thank all of my fans," Soto said. "I got to thank all the fans in the Dominican Republic, they make it possible. All thanks to the people in New York too. They really brought a lot. Mets fans are unbelievable. I really appreciate everything that they have done for me these past two years. I think it’s great."
A little less than two weeks ago, Soto was the sixth-highest All-Star in balloting, more than 269,000 votes behind the Braves' Ronald Acuña for the third and final spot in the outfield.
Soto will be the Mets' lone representative, barring any last-second injury additions. A season ago, the Mets had four representatives in Pete Alonso, Francisco Lindor, Edwin Diaz and David Peterson.
"I think that’s what makes him really special," Mets interim manager Andy Green said. "Certainly, everybody’s numbers tend to be better when the team is performing well. I think that’s contagious. I think everybody feeds off one another.
"We help each other by playing really well and doing our jobs well. He hasn’t had that, and he’s still leading the National League in OPS right now. So not much more you can ask of guy like that."
What has Juan Soto done to deserve the NL All-Star selection?
Soto was disappointed that he did not make the Midsummer Classic after a slow start to his Mets tenure in 2025. Despite posting a .905 OPS in the first half a season ago, Soto missed out.
Despite missing two weeks with a calf injury in April, Soto would not be denied this time around. He leads the NL with a .971 OPS and .408 on-base percentage entering Saturday's action. He also maintains a .297 batting average with 18 home runs, 41 RBI and 39 runs.
"It’s always a lot of gratitude for me. I would say it’s the same. I just fell short last year," Soto said. "It just kind of motivated me, like I got to be better. I gotta be better to be with the best of the best in the league. Definitely this year I came in with a different mentality, and I’m just glad I made it."
Green has had the opportunity to be around some Hall of Fame players, like Roberto Alomar Jr. and Randy Johnson, during his playing career. He believes that Soto is on a similar path and his first regular interactions with him have backed that up.
"I think when you’re in this game some of the coolest things you can do is be around greatness and he clearly is that in the batter’s box. It’s very otherworldly," Green said. "He does it day in, day in. It’s just quality at-bat after quality at-bat. Damage is there, walks are there. It’s as professional as it gets."
Will Juan Soto participate in the Home Run Derby?
The Mets are used to having a participant in the Home Run Derby, with Pete Alonso participating five times, or every year it was held in his career up until last year.
Soto has not ruled out another run at the derby title at Citizens Bank Park. The superstar has participated twice, outdueling Julio Rodriguez to win the crown in 2022 and bowing out to Alonso in the 2021 event in 2021.
"I gotta check where my body’s at, how much I need to recover and be ready for the second half and definitely we got to think on everything," Soto said. "We got to think on every situation and we go from there."
The Rays' Junior Caminero will look to defend his title won last season in Atlanta as the only confirmed competitor so far.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Juan Soto relishes chance to represent Mets in fifth All-Star Game