Juan Soto's New Spot in Mets Lineup Revealed Amid Shakeup to Fix Struggles in 2026 MLB Season

New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza is moving Juan Soto into the leadoff spot for Monday's game against the Colorado Rockies.

According to Baseball Reference, this will be just the third time the veteran outfielder has started from the No. 1 spot in the lineup.

It's a little surprising a hitter with Soto's profile hasn't been in that slot more frequently.

Teams have long ago left behind the notion that a leadoff hitter should be somebody with little pop and a lot of speed. Instead, the conventional wisdom evolved to focus on players who both get on base and offer some power.

In an interview last October with Foul Territory, former Mets batting coach Eric Chavez argued the merits of having Soto in the leadoff slot:

The risk is that Soto has gotten into a routine as either the No. 2 or 3 hitter. Moving to the top of the order isn't a dramatic change but one that will be a different experience.

For Mendoza, now is the time to experiment with the Mets sitting last in the National League East at 12-22.

President of baseball operations David Stearns threw his support behind the manager, but the team will have little choice but to make a change if the results don't improve.

The offense, one that added Bo Bichette, Jorge Polanco, Luis Robert Jr. and Marcus Semien has been particularly bad. The Mets rank last in wOBA (.285), per FanGraphs.

Having Soto as a leadoff hitter won't solve all of the unit's woes but could at least provide a needed spark.