San Diego Padres star Juan Soto is known for what he does at the plate.
His plate discipline is second to none, as he has won one batting title and three Silver Slugger awards.
His career OPS is an elite .950 and he has 125 career home runs at 24 years old.
However, if he manages to take at least a moderate step forward on defense, the sky is the limit for him.
While playing in the World Baseball Classic with his native Dominican Republic, he made a huge outfield assist to help preserve an important 6-1 win against Nicaragua.
⚠️ CAUTION ⚠️
DO NOT RUN ON JUAN SOTO pic.twitter.com/Ei2mqs9zhx
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) March 13, 2023
It’s important to point out that it wasn’t a perfect throw, as it lacked elite accuracy.
But in the end, he got the job done and nailed a runner who made a mistake by going for it.
The lesson to be learned here is that Soto’s arm is legit, and he can be an asset from the outfield.
Accuracy is still a work in progress, but he can improve.
Defense is not Soto’s strongest suit despite him being a Gold Glove finalist last year.
He had -2 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and -12 Outs Above Average (OAA) in right field, so he needs to iron some things out.
He has the potential, though: Soto is a sneaky good athlete and runner, so there is a foundation if he puts in the work.
His arm, as this play showed, is very much there, too.
Any modest improvement with a glove on his hand could make Soto the unquestioned best baseball player in the world.
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