While the New York Mets still have plenty of work to do in the 2026 MLB season, Juan Soto is currently focused on the World Baseball Classic. In that context, he made a bold admission about Team Dominican Republic—one that included praise for the New York Yankees and another organization, but not the Mets.
Soto and Team Dominican Republic made lightwork of Team Netherlands defeating them 12-1. The game ended earlier than expected because WBC rules dictate a game ends in regulation during pool play if one team leads by 10-plus runs after the seventh inning.
As a result, Soto and company will now enjoy some extra rest before their next game. The chemistry among the Dominicans was too much to handle, and Soto made an interesting remark when addressing how much fun he is having with his fellow countrymen.
“2019 and 2024, those were really fun teams I played with, but this has to be top of the top,” Soto admitted during his postgame interview with MLB Network’s Siera Santos. “You have the whole family, the whole Dominican Republic cheering for you.”
Soto snubs Mets
It’s no mystery why Soto didn’t mention the Orange and Blue as one of the teams he enjoyed playing for the most. Soto has only been in Queens for one season in MLB, and the 2025 campaign was anything but a fun memory for the star outfielder. The Mets missed the playoffs after a loss to the Miami Marlins in the final game of the regular season.
Needless to say, on the fun scale, that can’t compete with Soto’s experiences in 2019 and 2024 with the Washington Nationals and the New York Yankees, respectively. In 2019, Soto won the World Series—his lone championship to date—with the club from the nation’s capital. In 2024, he fell just short as the Bronx Bombers lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the Fall Classic.
In 2026, his ultimate goal is clear. However, he has another task to handle first: putting the baseball world on notice while leading the Dominican Republic national baseball team in the World Baseball Classic.