Juan Soto names Robinson Cano and Manny Ramirez as his MLB idols

Juan Soto has put his own stamp on MLB stardom, but on 13 Jul 2026 he turned the spotlight back to the legends who lit his path.

Soto named Robinson Cano and Manny Ramirez as the two players he looked up to most while growing up in the Dominican Republic. **“Growing up it was Robinson Cano and Manny Ramirez,”** Soto told reporters ahead of his fifth All-Star Game. Both Cano and Ramirez hail from the same island that produced Soto.

Cano played 17 MLB seasons, earned eight All-Star nods, five Silver Sluggers, two Gold Gloves and a 2009 World Series ring with the New York Yankees. Ramirez logged 19 seasons, racked up 12 All-Star berths, nine Silver Sluggers, two World Series titles with the Boston Red Sox and a 2004 World Series MVP. Their Dominican heritage and sustained excellence shaped Soto’s boyhood dreams.

Still only 27, Soto already owns five All-Star selections, six Silver Sluggers and a 2019 World Series title with the Washington Nationals. After stops in San Diego and New York, he signed a 15-year, $765 million deal with the Mets in December 2024-then the richest contract in American pro sports. Soto missed last year’s All-Star team, making Tuesday’s game his first as a Met.

Soto will start in right field and bat second for the National League on Tuesday night. Through the first half he hit .290 with 21 homers and 51 RBIs, keeping his chase for Cano’s eight All-Star berths and Ramirez’s 12 alive.