Washington Nationals outfielder Juan Soto is heating up.
He was never really cold: it’s just that fans are used to a certain level of excellence every time he goes to the plate.
His .892 OPS would be a dream outcome for most MLB hitters, but when you see him finish with a .999 OPS in 2021 and flirt with the MVP award, you just know he can do better than that.
MLB insider Jon Heyman shared a key stat to remind us all that Soto is starting to catch fire at the plate.
However, he also reminded us he is very, very young.
“Juan Soto is heating up (158 OPS+ is close to 160 career mark). One hard-to-believe fact: Soto is exactly 3 weeks younger than heralded rookie Oneil Cruz,” he tweeted.
Juan Soto is heating up (158 OPS+ is close to 160 career mark)
One hard-to-believe fact: Soto is exactly 3 weeks younger than heralded rookie Oneil Cruz
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 14, 2022
Did you know that?
Cruz Is Good, But Soto Is Historically Great
Cruz has some incredible tools and may one day be one of the game’s biggest stars, but he is not there yet.
He saw his first MLB pitches late last year, and was recently called up from the minor leagues.
He is still making adjustments, failing, trying to succeed like almost every other young player.
Soto, on the other hand, has performed like an MVP in each and every one of his four full seasons.
He reached the majors in 2018, at 19 years old.
He had barely played in Double-A, yet the Nats deemed him ready: and he was.
Soto has already won one World Series championship and has 117 career home runs.
And he is not even 24 yet!
We may be talking about a Hall of Famer 15 or 20 years from now.
He is a truly special player.
NEXT: Juan Soto Sets A New High Mark By Getting On Base