Juan Soto’s Citi Field pass could make for a perfect Mets matchup

Juan Soto’s bat plays in all corners of the MLB universe, but over the course of his first seven seasons, there was one venue that perhaps felt more familiar to him than the others.

If the All-Star outfielder needed any more selling points for the Mets when he met with team officials last month, it was this: Soto’s career 1.175 OPS at Citi Field is the highest of any ballpark where he has played at least 20 games.

Soto, 26, has entered the final stretch of free agency, which will likely be resolved by the conclusion of the Winter Meetings next week in Dallas.

A resolution by this weekend is even more likely, according to industry sources, as he considers offers from the Mets, Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays and Dodgers — all in excess of $600 million, according to The Post’s Jon Heyman.

It is unclear which, if any, teams from this group were eliminated from the competition.

Soto and Citi Field have already proven they fit together — perhaps assuaging concerns about how elite talent and a stadium not known as a haven for hitters might fit together.

Soto owns a .333/.466/.709 slash line with 12 home runs and 26 RBIs in 35 career games at Citi Field – nearly half a home season. Most of that damage occurred at the 2018-22 Nationals.

“I just think he sees the ball really well there because he provides a great hitting background,” said a scout for a National League club. “It’s just very dark and batsmen can pick up the ball well, so that could be a factor. I guarantee he sees the ball well there.”

A scout for an American League team agreed with that assessment.

“(Citi Field) has a great, super good hitting background,” said the scout, a former major league player. “You can really see that, it’s just an instinctive thing for a former batsman to notice. (Soto) has great vision as a hitter and his selectivity is so exceptional that vision and tracking the ball from the release point is certainly part of it.”

Soto hit a career-best 41 home runs last season, but there is no need to worry about a significant decline in that category should he trade Yankee Stadium for Citi Field as his home address starting next season.

According to Statcast, all but two of the 20 homers he hit at Yankee Stadium last season would have cleared the fence at Citi Field.

“You can drive the ball to right field and of course Yankee Stadium is shorter, but Citi Field is also a good place for lefties to pull the ball,” said a scout for an American League team. “(Soto) is not only primarily a pull hitter, but his power – from right-center to the right field line – is, in my opinion, an advantage for the left-handed pull power hitter.”

Soto hit 35 home runs for the Padres in 2023 (his career high before this season).

According to Statcast, the home run total — based on the trajectories and distances of those blasts — was nearly four times higher than his expected total of 31.3. Last season, Soto hit 45 home runs (including the postseason) and his expected total was 47.7.

“(Soto) can just drive the ball out of any part of the park,” the National League team’s scout said. “He can go up the middle with a line drive that’s straight up. He’s not trying to make an elevator. He has great swing and is incredibly strong. He has great torque and leverage in his swing and uses his lower half very well. He’ll have no problem hitting anywhere.”