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Washington Nationals: Scouting report on OF Juan Soto

By Benjamin Chase

WOODBRIDGE, VA - MAY 6, 2018: Outfielder Juan Soto #25 of the Potomac Nationals, single-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, hits a solo homerun during the bottom of the third inning of a Carolina League game on May 6, 2018 against the Salem Red Sox, single-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, at Northwest Federal Field at Pfitzner Stadium in Woodbridge, VA.(Photo by: Diamond Images/Getty Images)
WOODBRIDGE, VA - MAY 6, 2018: Outfielder Juan Soto #25 of the Potomac Nationals, single-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, hits a solo homerun during the bottom of the third inning of a Carolina League game on May 6, 2018 against the Salem Red Sox, single-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, at Northwest Federal Field at Pfitzner Stadium in Woodbridge, VA.(Photo by: Diamond Images/Getty Images) /
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Washington Nationals
WOODBRIDGE, VA – MAY 6, 2018: Outfielder Juan Soto #25 of the Potomac Nationals, single-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, hits a solo homerun during the bottom of the third inning of a Carolina League game on May 6, 2018 against the Salem Red Sox, single-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, at Northwest Federal Field at Pfitzner Stadium in Woodbridge, VA.(Photo by: Diamond Images/Getty Images) /

The Washington Nationals have called up Juan Soto to the major leagues. What kind of player is he now, and what kind of player could he become?

The Washington Nationals have called up fast-rising prospect Juan Soto from the minor leagues. While he will not be in the starting lineup today against the Dodgers, he could make his MLB debut very soon. Let’s look at the player he is.

Player Profile

The Washington Nationals originally signed Juan Jose Soto out of the Dominican Republic as a July 2nd signing in 2015 for a $1.5 million bonus.

Soto made his pro debut in 2016 with the Nationals Gulf Coast League team and performed so well that he earned a late-season promotion to Auburn in the short-season A-ball New York-Penn League. Overall, Soto hit .368/.420/.553 in 51 games, with 14 doubles, 3 triples, 5 home runs, and 5 stolen bases. He posted a 8.2% walk rate and 14% strikeout rate.

The Washington Nationals pushed Soto at 18 to full-season ball with Hagerstown, where he opened the season strong before an ankle fracture and then hamate surgery carved out a large chunk of Soto’s season. He spent some time with the Nationals’ GCL team on his rehab. Combined on the season, he hit .351/.415/.505 over 32 games with 6 doubles, a triple, 3 home runs, and a stolen base. He posted a 9.8% walk rate and a 7.3% strikeout rate.

Soto was a universally-praised prospect in the offseason, with many places ranking him among the top 100 prospects in the game. Baseball America had him #56, MLB Pipeline had him #29, and Baseball Prospectus had him #22. Our own top 150 list, Soto ranked #33 ahead of the season.

After missing that much time, Juan Soto opened the 2018 season back in Hagerstown, where he laid waste to the league before getting a promotion to high-A after 16 games. He needed just 15 games at high-A to merit a move up to AA Harrisburg. In the minors this season, over 39 games, he’s hit .362/.462/.757 with 10 doubles, 4 triples, 14 home runs, and 3 stolen bases. He’s posted a 15.9% walk rate and 15.4% strikeout rate.

Next: Soto's scouting report

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