Washington Nationals slugger Juan Soto may not be having his best season, but he is still a world-class hitter set to break all kinds of offensive records.
At 23 years old, he already has a couple of seasons of MVP-level play, even though he hasn’t won the award just yet.
And he has achieved many things at his age that thousands of other players over their whole careers never could.
“Per @EliasSports, Juan Soto is the 19th player in MLB history to reach 1,000 total bases and 100 HR before turning 24. He reaches the milestone in 538 career games, 4th fastest in Nationals/Expos history, trailing Vlad Guerrero (455), Trea Turner (517), and Bryce Harper (528),” ESPN Stats & Info tweeted.
Per @EliasSports, Juan Soto is the 19th player in MLB history to reach 1,000 total bases and 100 HR before turning 24.
He reaches the milestone in 538 career games, 4th fastest in Nationals/Expos history, trailing Vlad Guerrero (455), Trea Turner (517), and Bryce Harper (528). pic.twitter.com/TolxfPpbzY
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 28, 2022
Yes, you read that right: he is not even 24 and already has 100 home runs.
What will his numbers look like once he is 30 or 32?
Soto Is A Fantastic Hitter Who Hasn’t Shown His Best Version In 2022
He is a one-of-a-kind hitter whose main trait is not power: it’s his extraordinary plate discipline and hitting ability.
Unfortunately, Soto hasn’t been able to showcase his best level in 2022, surrounded by a poor Nationals lineup.
Pitchers prefer to pitch around Soto and take their chances with the rest of Washington’s mediocre lineup.
As a result, Soto is slashing .223/.377/.438 with 14 homers and 31 RBI.
His elite eye at the plate (and the fact that pitchers prefer not to pitch to him more often than not) guarantee that his OBP remains high, but otherwise, 2022 has been a wild ride for him, filled with peaks and valleys.
That doesn’t take anything away from what he has achieved so far as a major leaguer, and he already has a place among the greatest players in Expos/Nationals history.
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