Nineteen-year-old Juan Soto of the Washington Nationals minor league system has been called up from Low-A Hagerstown to High-A Potomac. Is he potentially a (future) replacement for Bryce Harper?
Juan Soto had been hitting the ball like crazy, putting up a slash line of .373/.486/.814 with an OPS of an absurd 1.300 through 59 at-bats. The right fielder was signed to a minor league deal with the Washington Nationals back in 2015 when he was just seventeen.
If he keeps up his Low-A production with the High-A Potomac Nationals, it’s likely he could see another call-up before the end of the year. Of course, Soto is buried deep down in the depth chart, with Bryce Harper being the Major League option for the club.
However, with the uncertainty surrounding Bryce Harper in the offseason, it’s comforting for the team to have such a young guy performing well.
Juan Soto promoted to Potomac #Nats
— Byron Kerr (@ByronKerr) April 23, 2018
If discussions go south in the offseason, Juan Soto may see an experimental call-up to the majors to fill the gap in right field left by Harper. The Washington Nationals are the favorites in the NL East this year and are likely to make a deep run in the playoffs.
Juan Soto’s development should be seen as a nice sprinkle of good news on top of the sundae of the Washington Nationals season. He likely won’t be a difference maker for years to come, but a nineteen-year-old killing it in the minors is always something to be excited about, especially when he plays for your favorite team.
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However, if Bryce Harper walks in the off-season, Juan Soto may have a shot sooner than later, but let’s not even think about Bryce Harper leaving. I don’t believe Washington Nationals fans could bear the thought (or reality) of it.
If the Washington Nationals win the 2018 World Series, however, that scenario is unlikely, and we would likely see Bryce Harper roaming the outfield together in the Nation’s capital for the next decade.