The reason why Juan Soto isn’t playing in the MLB All-Star Game

The rosters for the 2025 All-Star Game has now been confirmed, with 19 players set to make their debut in the illustrious fixture. But while the likes of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, James Wood and Jeremy Pena are all worth their place, there is one high-profile omission that will be shocking to some.

Ahead of the 2025 season the New York Mets secured the signing of free agent Juan Soto, handing the outfielder a 15-year contract worth an MLB-record $765 million. Soto’s deal remains the biggest contract in the history of baseball and it could even swell to more than $800 million if certain terms are met.

But despite that huge outlay, Soto was not an immediate success with the Mets. Team selection is done jointly with votes from fans, players and the MLB, meaning that there is always the chance that players will miss out unexpectedly.

Even in this context, though, it is fair to say that Soto can feel quite unfortunate to have missed out on selection. His form has dropped off slightly but he still boasts an OBP of more than .400 and leads the league in walks.

Ahead of Soto, six other outfielders have been selected to represent the American League: Aaron Judge (Yankees), Riley Greene (Tigers), Javier Baez (Tigers), Byron Buxton (Twins), Steven Kwan (Guardians), Julio Rodriguez (Mariners).

Speaking to The Mirror US last month, Soto admitted that he still had work to do to

“I work on my speed every year. I’ve just been learning a lot to work smarter instead of harder,” Soto explained. “Trying to find our spots and make the right choice.”

He also paid tribute to Mets first-base coach Antoan Richardson, a former player who stole 337 bases at a success rate of 85% across his career.

“Antoan is one of the best I’ve ever seen,” Soto said. “He’s really studying and reading movements and everything, and he’s helping us out big time.”

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