In the game of the World Baseball Classic thus far, Team USA punched its ticket to the finals by, against seemingly all odds, defeating the Dominican Republic in a nail-biter. Despite falling short, outfielder Juan Soto made it clear who he thought the best team was in the tournament. Spoiler: it wasn't the team that beat his team.
Juan Soto after losing to Team USA in the WBC, via @JeffPassan:
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) March 16, 2026
"We showed the world who's the best team in baseball. That's all I got to say." pic.twitter.com/5pXFr4AX7v
That's right, Soto chose his team, the one that failed to get past the USA, as the best team in the tournament. This stance of talent trumping results feels a lot like what's been going on with the New York Mets in the Steve Cohen era.
Juan Soto isn't wrong, but who cares?
Objectively speaking, Soto isn't wrong; the Dominican Republic was the best team in the tournament. Their lineup was historically great, featuring perennial MVP candidates up and down the order, and the results were as dominant as you'd expect for the most part. They set a WBC record by hitting 15 home runs despite not even making it past the semifinals, and heading into the final, they've scored 10 more runs than any other team in the tournament.
We might never see a lineup this stacked in the WBC again, but does that really matter? Does anyone really care that the DR was the most talented team if they fell short when it mattered most? I mean, they managed to score just one run in an elimination game and went just 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position. Even if home plate umpire Cory Blaser had made the right call on Geraldo Perdomo's controversial third strike call, are we sure Mason Miller, the best reliever on the planet right now, wouldn't have gotten the next batter out? The DR did not score runs with their tournament on the line.
Talent means nothing if you don't achieve your ultimate goal, at the end of the day. Expectations were a WBC tournament win or bust, and the DR didn't even make it to the finals. They might've been the most talented team, but again, that just doesn't mean anything. The Steve Cohen Mets have been in a similar spot.
Juan Soto's mentality explains Mets offseason
It was jarring to see the Mets cut bait with four iconic figures from Cohen's tenure. The grouping of Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, Edwin Diaz and Jeff McNeil combined for nine All-Star appearances, over 400 home runs, two batting titles, two Silver Sluggers and a Reliever of the Year award in their Mets careers, so it was jarring to see the Mets let them go.
Doing so, though, was the Mets saying that Soto's attitude will not fly in Queens any longer. Talent has never been a problem in the Cohen era. Cohen has spent a fortune to acquire talent to surround the pre-existing core. From Soto to Francisco Lindor to Justin Verlander to Max Scherzer (and so many more), the Mets have spent a ton of money and acquired future Hall of Famers, and not when they were on the downswing, either. Soto and Lindor were acquired in their primes. Verlander signed after he won a Cy Young award. Scherzer was still an elite pitcher when he came to Queens. Yet, they've never gone past the NLCS under Cohen.
They signed Verlander in the 2022 offseason, fresh off a 101-win season. They signed Soto right after getting to the NLCS the season prior. Talent has never been an issue; results have.
So, rather than continue to hang their hats on talent, the Mets shook up the core that has proven to fall short year after year. Were their pivots to the likes of Bo Bichette, Freddy Peralta, Jorge Polanco and Devin Williams the right moves to make? That remains to be seen. Seeing the Mets try something new was refreshing, though.
It does not matter how talented you are if you never win anything. If you never win anything with the talented players you have, maybe it's time for a change. The Mets realized that, and they might end up reaping the benefits.
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