The New York Mets have been looking for a left fielder since trading Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers. It turns out that the answer was already on the roster.
ESPN’s Jorge Castillo reported that Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns said that outfielder Juan Soto will move to left field. Soto had been the Mets right fielder in 2025.
Soto does have extensive experience in left. He had been the Washington Nationals left fielder from 2018 through 2020 before moving to right in 2021. The San Diego Padres put Soto back in left in 2023, but he returned to right field after being traded to the New York Yankees.
Juan Soto position change does not mean Mets prospect is blocked in 2026
Soto’s defense has been questionable regardless of which corner outfield spot he has occupied. While he has had his moments, Fangraphs lists Soto as having cost his teams 14 runs in left and five runs in right. His move to left is likely a stop before he transitions into a full-time designated hitter role.
Moving Soto to left also moves the Mets’ outfield void across the diamond. Tyrone Taylor, prospect Carson Benge and the recently signed MJ Melendez are expected to battle for the starting role in right field.
The job may be Benge’s to lose. Taylor has been an excellent defensive outfielder but is best utilized in a reserve capacity. Melendez has yet to prove that he can consistently hit at the major league level and is coming off of a brutal showing in 2025. If Benge performs well in spring training, he may be a part of the Mets’ Opening Day roster.