
New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto has once again cemented his status as the premier Dominican player in Major League Baseball, becoming the first player ever to win the Juan Marichal Award in consecutive seasons. The honor, which recognizes the best Dominican-born player in MLB, was announced on Monday, 20 October 2025, a date that coincided with the 88th birthday of the legendary Hall of Famer the award is named after, Juan Marichal.
Soto, 26, was voted the most complete player of the year after his first season with the Mets. He received 443 total points and secured 56 first-place votes from a jury of 100 sports journalists and analysts from the Dominican Republic and the United States. His final tally comfortably outpaced runner-up, Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sánchez (319 points), with Junior Caminero, José Ramírez, and Freddy Peralta rounding out the top five.
Soto’s season was a display of power and all-around excellence, featuring career-high numbers that led to his unanimous selection. His final 2025 statistics included:
• 43 home runs (a new career high)
• 120 runs scored
• 105 RBIs
• 38 stolen bases (which led the National League)
This marks Soto’s second straight win, following his 2024 campaign with the New York Yankees where he set personal bests with 41 home runs, 128 runs scored, 166 hits, and 109 RBIs.
The announcement was part of a ceremony led by Juan Marichal himself, alongside Sports Minister Kelvin Cruz, Junior Noboa, and Américo Celado, held at the Ministry of Sports. The award is sanctioned by the Dominican Baseball Federation (Fedobe), the ACD (Association of Sports Writers of Santo Domingo), and the Caribbean Confederation.
Established in 2021, the Juan Marichal Award was created to celebrate the accomplishments of Dominican players in the Major Leagues while paying tribute to Marichal, the first Dominican to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.
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Empire Sports Media
El Dia
21 October 2025