NEW YORK — When the Mets need offensive answers the most, Juan Soto is responding like the big star he is. The Dominican gardener was once again decisive this Wednesday by hitting a solo home run in the first inning, leading New York to a 4-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds at Citi Field. The hit not only marked his second home run in consecutive games, but also confirmed the extraordinary offensive moment he is going through. With his recent offensive explosion, Soto became only the twelfth player in Mets history to hit at least eight home runs in a 12-game span, joining historical franchise names like Gary Carter and Mike Piazza. No New York player had achieved something similar since Neil Walker more than ten years ago. And the reality is clear: today, Soto is the offensive engine of the Mets. In the club’s last eight games, the Dominican has produced almost a third of the team’s RBIs, despite missing two of those games. While the collective offense continues to seek consistency, Soto’s bat keeps New York afloat. His Wednesday homer came with two outs in the first inning, when he punished a curveball from left-hander Andrew Abbott and sent it 366 feet to right field, according to Statcast. The hit continued a demolishing streak in which six of his last eight hits have been home runs. Thanks to that offensive awakening, Soto now has 12 home runs this season, quickly doubling his total after returning from the right calf injury that kept him out for two and a half weeks in April. Only seven National League hitters surpass that figure, all with at least nine more games played than the Dominican.

While these explosive performances are not new for a player of Soto’s caliber, their impact has been even more evident amid the Mets’ offensive struggles, who entered Wednesday with just eight runs scored in their previous six games.

New York also received important contributions from Eric Wagaman, who hit a home run, and prospect Carson Benge, who had two RBIs. However, once again, Soto was the face of the victory: he opened the scoring, got on base in three of his four plate appearances, and once again demonstrated why he remains one of the most feared hitters in baseball. In the season, Soto presents an offensive line of .301/.392/.594 in 39 games. His OPS of .986 would lead the National League if he had enough official appearances to qualify.