Juan Soto signed a massive $765 million deal to join the New York Mets in the offseason, and while the Mets are in the middle of a disastrous collapse, Soto has been the reason it hasn't been worse.
He's taken his game to new heights since coming to the Mets, as he has 35 stolen bases this season, over one-third of his career total of 92. But, aside from his newfound base-stealing prowess and his home run hitting ability showing up, Soto's patience is still his calling card.
No one walks more than Soto, and he's once again having an incredibly patient season at the plate. With Soto in his eighth season, as Sarah Langs of MLB.com shares, Soto is tied with Mickey Mantle in walks and will likely pass him in the final week of this season. However, he's not just going to surpass Mantle; he'll do so with over a year to spare.
Juan Soto is set to pass Mickey Mantle in walks before turning 28
Soto is tied with Mantle for walks by a player before turning 28 years old, with each having 892 walks before turning 28. However, as Lang points out, "SOTO IS STILL 26. HE WILL BE 27 ALL OF NEXT SEASON."
Juan Soto has 892 career walks
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) September 23, 2025
That’s tied with Mickey Mantle for the most before turning 28
SOTO IS STILL 26
HE WILL BE 27 ALL OF NEXT SEASON pic.twitter.com/akqkandDM9
Not only will Soto have the final six games of the 2025 MLB season to pass Mantle for the most walks by a player before turning 28, but he'll have the entire 2026 season to add to that total, potentially creating a rare, unbeatable record in MLB history.
This season, Soto has 123 walks, which leads all of MLB. In 2024, he had 129 walks, while in 2023, he had an MLB-best 132 walks. Additionally, he had MLB-best totals of 135 and 145 walks in 2022 and 2021, respectively.
He's averaging 133 walks per 162 games, which means that Soto could set a new record of over 1,000 walks before turning 28 years old. That'd be an incredible feat, and could be a record never to be beaten again.
With the shift to be more aggressive at the plate and the acceptance of strikeouts to get better contact, players aren't walking that much. For younger players, generating walks is also not an easy task, with the focus on power and slugging ability rather than discipline.
MORE: Mets' Juan Soto is first in MLB history with this home run trifecta record
What makes this statistic even more unreachable is that Soto began his MLB career in 2018 at just 19 years old. Most players don't debut until their early-mid 20s, let alone while they're still a teenager.
Before turning 23 years old, a fairly young age for a player and a common age for prospects to secure full-time roles in the Majors, Soto had already walked 373 times.
Soto's birthday is on October 25th, meaning that he will have the entire 2026 season to accumulate more walks to further cement his MLB record for walks by a player before turning 28 years old.
If Soto plays a full 2026 season, there might never be another player to beat the career walks before turning 28 years old record ever again.
Between Soto beginning his career at 19, his incredible patience at the plate, and the trends in modern baseball leaning away from walks, the chances of a player surpassing Soto's record, once he sets it, are slim to none.
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