Giving outfielder Juan Soto the richest contract in Major League Baseball history had its perks for the New York Mets. Of course, Soto is one of the top five hitters in Major League Baseball, but there are other reasons why this decision made sense for New York.
Among those is the fact that the Mets had an opportunity to make a lot of money off Soto. At the end of the day, Major League Baseball is a business, which is why players like Soto get the type of money they do in deals.
It’s certainly paying off for the Mets.
Mets made history in a disappointing 2025 season
According to Sports Business Journal, the Mets set a new Citi Field attendance record this year. Despite the Mets not playing as well as expected entering the season, especially in the second half, it highlights the excitement Soto brought to the organization.
"The Mets 'drew a Citi Field-record' 3,182,057 fans this season, an average of 39,775 that marks a 38% increase over last season’s average of 28,802, according to Anthony Rieber of Newsday. The average was fifth in MLB going into the final week of the regular season. The Mets also sold out 19 games and had 48 of their 80 home games with more than 40,000 in attendance,” SBJ wrote.
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For the Mets moving forward, there’s a clear plan.
Steve Cohen wants to spend as much money as any team in baseball, which will not only help the team win in the long term, but it’ll also create new Mets fans.
Soto certainly added a whole new fanbase to an organization that already had a great one.