Drew Pierce is a junior journalism major and is a columnist for The Daily News. His views do not necessarily agree with those of the newspaper.
Washington National Juan Soto is becoming the most talked about player in the league, and he is only 20 years old.
The future of Major League Baseball is breaking out on the national stage and will be the face of the sport for many years to come.
On Oct. 25, Soto will celebrate his 21st birthday as the Nationals take on the Astros in the World Series. However, Soto’s experience in Major League Baseball dates back to the 2018 season when he was 19 and the youngest player in the league.
The Dominican left fielder was signed by the Nationals as an international free agent in 2015. This would put Soto at 16 years old. Three years later, Soto made his MLB debut with the Nationals.
In 2018, Soto batted .292 with 70 RBIs. This placed him in second place in NL Rookie of the Year voting behind only Ronald Acuna Jr. Imagine being 19 and one of the best players in the game of baseball.
Soto followed up his rookie year with another season of impressive performances. He ended the regular season with a .282 batting average, 34 home runs and 110 RBIs.
Although his numbers were solid, the fact that the Nationals made the postseason really shows the impact Soto had on Washington. Coming up through the Wild Card, The Nationals are now facing the Astros in the Fall Classic. The Nats shocked the world when they put away the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS.
This was in huge part due to Soto’s .286 batting average and three home runs before the World Series started.
Now, for the first time in history, the Nationals are on the largest stage in baseball, and so is Soto. Some may say the extensive media attention because of a team’s success could lead to a fluke, but I do not think this is the case here.
Soto is a guy that is extremely talented and plays with pure electricity. This is exactly what baseball needs.
Right now, Mike Trout is the best player in baseball. Some even argue he is the best to grace the game. However, at 28 years old, he can’t play forever. It will not matter if Trout is still in the league in 10 years because greatness can coexist, and that is what Soto will blossom into given some time.
If there is any one player that will break Bryce Harper’s $330 million deal record, it is Soto. He deserves to be paid, and I know he will be very soon as the Nationals are most likely going to shell out a lot of money to keep him in D.C.
Although his statistics aren’t crazy good, this is only Soto’s second year in the big leagues. As long as he stays healthy, he will be one of the best of our generation and the face of Major League Baseball soon enough.
Contact Drew Pierce with comments at dlpierce2@bsu.edu or on Twitter @dpierce3cc.
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