Washington Nationals: Juan Soto continues to make history
Although he is just a teenager, Washington Nationals rookie Juan Soto is continuing to make major league history.
What Juan Soto has been able to accomplish as a rookie for the Washington Nationals has been nothing short of remarkable. A 19 year old who had just eight games above A-ball, Soto hit the ground running when he joined the majors. Thus far, he has produced a stellar .304/.421/.534 batting line, hitting 20 homers and 22 doubles. Those 20 homers makes him just the third teenager ever to reach that total in a season, joining his teammate Bryce Harper (22) and Red Sox legend Tony Conigliaro (24) as the only teenagers to reach that mark.
On Saturday, Soto made history once again. This time, instead of doing so with his power, he carved his place in history with his legs. He stole three bases against the Braves, becoming the first teenager to steal three bases in a single game.
Juan Soto is the first teenager in history with 3 steals in an @MLB game. pic.twitter.com/7zAwVZNSUD
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) September 15, 2018
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The fact that Soto was able to steal three bases in a game is a bit of a surprise. While he has decent speed, he is not exactly a threat on the basepaths. That three steal day gives him five steals on the season, matching the total he had in the Gulf Coast League just two years ago. And yet, Soto was able to pull off a feat on the basepaths that even Ty Cobb did not accomplish.
it will be interesting to watch Soto over the final two weeks of the season. He could well surpass Conigliaro for the single season record for homers by a teenager. And, given his success on the basepaths on Saturday, the Nationals may well give him the green light to steal more often, allowing Soto to become a more all around threat.
This added dimension can also work to Soto’s favor in the future. Teams had pitched around Harper in the past, leading him to steal more bases as an attempt to punish those teams for pitching around him. If Harper leaves via free agency this offseason, and Soto becomes the main power threat in the Nationals lineup, teams may adopt the same strategy. However, success on the basepaths may give teams reason to think twice about such a strategy.
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Juan Soto continues to set records for the Washington Nationals. This time, he used his legs, becoming the first teenager in MLB history to steal three bases in a game.