The Citi Field crowd rose to its feet in the fourth inning Friday as Juan Soto turned on a pitch and launched it into the New York night. The blast not only padded the New York Mets’ lead over the Washington Nationals; it also etched Soto’s name deeper into franchise history.

With his 42nd home run of the season, Soto set a new personal best and moved into third place on the Mets’ all-time single-season list. The moment carried added weight, given how uneven his first weeks in Queens felt back in April. Months later, Soto has become the beating heart of the Mets’ playoff push, rewriting expectations for his debut season in Flushing.

“When you talk about the numbers, that is something special,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said after the win via SNY. “For me, it’s just the person. It’s how

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