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Mets’ Gregory Soto gets ‘best’ endorsement from Jazz Chisholm Jr.
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- Mets’ Gregory Soto gets ‘best’ endorsement from Jazz Chisholm Jr.
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The New York Mets continued their aggressive push toward October by acquiring two-time All-Star reliever Gregory Soto from the Baltimore Orioles on Friday. In return, Baltimore received two right-handed pitching prospects , 20-year-old Wellington Aracena, ranked No. 19 in the Mets' system, and 26-year-old Cameron Foster.
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While the move is a strategic one for the Mets' postseason push, Soto also received a powerful personal endorsement from the New York Yankees outfielder Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Chisholm, who has more at-bats against Soto than any other Yankee, was quick to praise the Mets' newest arm.
"I like [Soto] as a pitcher a lot," Chisholm said Friday at Yankee Stadium. "For me, he's one of the best pitchers."
Even after going hitless in 10 at-bats with six strikeouts against Soto, Jazz Chisholm Jr. offered a clear scouting report.
"Sinker, slider, cutter, sweeper, all of those," Chisholm noted. "He throws everything. For me, I feel like when he faces me, he doesn't really miss down the middle."
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Chisholm even joked, "Yeah, [I've faced him the most], and probably the least amount of hits," before learning his actual stat line, 0-for-10.
Soto, 30, arrives with a 3.96 ERA across 36.1 innings this season, recording 44 strikeouts and 18 walks. Although control issues have been evident, highlighted by a three-walk outing against the Guardians, his 27.5% strikeout rate remains an essential weapon, especially when facing left-handed batters. This season, he has held lefties to a .138 batting average and a .547 OPS.
His impact is expected to be immediate and situationally vital. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza now has another experienced left-hander in the bullpen alongside Brooks Raley , offering flexibility in high-leverage matchups against elite lefty sluggers like Bryce Harper , Kyle Tucker , and Shohei Ohtani . Soto's ability to limit damage makes him a critical addition as New York seeks postseason success despite a rotation that has failed to consistently meet expectations.
Soto brings postseason experience and a history of late-inning reliability. After struggling early in his MLB career, he broke out in 2021 with the Detroit Tigers , racking up 48 saves and earning back-to-back All-Star selections. His tenure with the Phillies and Orioles was more uneven, but his swing-and-miss arsenal remains intact.
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The Mets' bullpen, once dominant, has faltered since the end of May, dropping to 23rd in ERA (4.52). With Edwin Díaz anchoring the closer role (21 saves, sub-2.00 ERA), Soto strengthens a unit in desperate need of reliable depth.
As reports indicate more relievers could be on the way, the president of baseball operations, David Stearns, remains focused on assembling a championship-caliber bullpen ahead of the July 31 trade deadline.
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