Washington Nationals: Juan Soto rejects bobblehead because of expression

Washington Nationals outfielder Juan Soto wants to be remembered for the joy he has on the diamond. That joy also needs to reflect on his bobblehead.

One could understand why Juan Soto would have so much fun on the diamond. The Washington Nationals outfielder rocketed through the minors last season, posting the type of production rarely seen from a teenager. The smile has not left his face since that debut, with Soto obviously enjoying himself on the diamond.

It is also important to Soto that the joy he feels on the diamond reflects in any depictions. He rejected the prototype of his bobblehead because it did not have a smile on its face, because he wants people to remember him as being happy.

That critique was accepted, leading to the design in the tweet above. This time, the mouth is open on his likeness, showing in teeth in what could be considered a smile. At any rate, it is an improvement over the closed mouth prototype that Soto felt looked angry.

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It is also a good sign that the Nationals are listening to one of their prized youngsters. Given the trend of teams locking up their younger players before free agency, or even before arbitration, making certain that Soto remains happy.

Soto had an excellent rookie campaign in 2018, posting a .292/.406/.517 batting line, hitting 22 homers and 25 doubles. Those 22 homers were tied for the second most in a season by a teenager, as Soto joined former Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper for second place behind Tony Conigliaro.

With that beginning to his career, one can understand why the Nationals would have interest in keeping Soto happy. And, as long as he would be in a good mindset, the Nationals may be able to get that long term extension that other teams have been handing out.

Juan Soto wanted his bobblehead to look more like him and to have that same smile he has on his face. The Washington Nationals made sure that would be the case.