The San Diego Padres have been a disappointment in 2023 with their 69-78 record after making an appearance in last year’s National League Championship Series.
That doesn’t mean there aren’t individual seasons to highlight on their 2023 roster.
Take, for example, Juan Soto.
Soto is so good and so talented that a .894 OPS is seen as a slight disappointment by some.
Of course, for a guy who has flirted with a 1.000 OPS multiple times, it might seem a tad low.
However, make no mistake: Soto is amazing, and he actually joined another historic MLB club on Wednesday.
“Padres OF Juan Soto hit his 30th HR of the season vs Dodgers tonight. This is his 2nd career 30 HR-100 BB season. He is the 6th player in MLB history with multiple 30 HR-100 BB seasons before turning 25, joining Ted Williams, Mel Ott, Mickey Mantle, Eddie Mathews & Jimmie Foxx,” ESPN Stats & Info tweeted.
Padres OF Juan Soto hit his 30th HR of the season vs Dodgers tonight.
This is his 2nd career 30 HR-100 BB season. He is the 6th player in MLB history with multiple 30 HR-100 BB seasons before turning 25, joining Ted Williams, Mel Ott, Mickey Mantle, Eddie Mathews & Jimmie Foxx. pic.twitter.com/tJe7UwN8ir
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 14, 2023
In MLB, hitting 30 home runs is very hard.
However, getting 100 walks in a season might be even harder, and it’s what makes Soto special.
A lot of players get on base, and some of them have considerable power numbers.
Very few hitters in baseball boast the combination of hitting skills, power, and patience that Soto shows every year.
Soto will be a free agent after the 2024 season, and he will get an absurd amount of cash.
He has 155 career home runs and 627 walks.
He hasn’t turned 25 yet.
His best year, at least in theory, should still be ahead of him.
He is, without a doubt, one of MLB’s most exciting players now and for the future.
NEXT: The Padres Finally Pulled Off A Comeback Win
