Mets star Juan Soto is moving from right field to left field this season, president of baseball operationsDavid Stearnsannounced on Tuesday.
"Over the last month or so, as (Carlos Mendoza) and Juan were talking about the season, Juan was working out in left field because he's gonna play left field for the DR in the WBC," Stearns explained. "As they had their conversations, he felt really comfortable there. It made sense for us from a roster perspective. So we're gonna go forward with it, and everyone is on board with it.
"Not something we had really contemplated coming into the offseason, but as we've had conversations over the last month it made sense for all involved."
Speaking later in the afternoon, Mendoza said that he and Soto had many conversations in the offseason, including Mendoza visiting the outfielder in the Dominican Republic, and it was probably around late December when Mendoza and Soto first seriously entertained the idea of Soto making a position change.
Talks started with Mendoza asking about where Soto would play for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic. When Soto explained that he was preparing to play left, with Fernando Tatis Jr. playing right, Mendoza asked about Soto making the change for the Mets.
"I asked how he would feel if he played left field for us, and he was like 'I’m willing to do whatever. If you want me to pitch, Mendy, I’ll pitch,' kind of with that smile," Mendoza explained. "I said ‘Seriously speaking here, is that something that you would consider if it makes sense for both?' and he was like 'Absolutely.' He reinforced it and said 'I’m comfortable in right, I’m comfortable in left, whatever the team needs.'"
Soto has played mostly right field over the last few seasons, including in 2025, when he started all 157 games there.
However, he has started 458 big league games in left field, including six in 2024 and 154 in 2023 -- when every one of his starts in the field for the Padres came in left.
"I think it's just where he is comfortable," Stearns noted. "He's done it in the past. He feels good over there. We've talked about it a lot, we've got a lot of athletic outfielders -- both at the major league level and nearing the major league level. And so having right field available to them isn't a bad outcome.
"We were also comfortable with Juan in right field and having left field available to them. As we were talking with Juan, it frankly didn't make a lot of sense to bounce him back and forth from corner to corner during spring training. He's comfortable in left, it fits with our roster, so we'll go forward with it."
While Soto has a strong arm that he utilizes well, he was near the bottom of the league last season when it came to Outs Above Average. The same was the case in 2024 and in 2023 (when he was in left field).
Before 2023, the 2019 campaign was the last time Soto played left field regularly in a full season. That year, he was in the 88th percentile in OAA.
With Soto shifting to left, that means right field will be a competition between Carson Benge and others.
Benge has lots of experience in right field, including 26 games last season. He was primarily a right fielder during his college career with Oklahoma State. He can also play center and left.
Stearns has spoken highly of Benge throughout the offseason, noting that he has a legitimate chance to make the team out of spring training as a starting outfielder.
In addition to Benge, other possibilities for right field include Tyrone Taylor and Brett Baty.
Baty has yet to play right field professionally, but has 29 games of left field experience in the minors (and one game of experience there in the majors).