What an entertaining World Series we’ve had this year. With the exception of the 2007 World Series (sorry Rockies), I feel as if I say this every year. Baseball on it’s grandest stage, on-field and off-field drama, and both teams experiencing succession clutch moments.
Max Scherzer, the definition of a “grind it out” pitcher who works to continuously perfect his craft, made an interesting comment about one of the most entertaining storylines for me in this World Series; the emergence of Juan Soto. “We’re all impressed because he’s not a ‘me’ guy. He’s not taking a selfie and putting it on Instagram to see how many likes he has. He’s more worried about being the best baseball player he can be.”
If the baseball world didn’t know who Juan Soto is, or the void he replaced in the Nationals lineup following the departure of Bryce Harper, they know know. This is a twenty year-old kid who is barreling up pitches like a prized spring training prospect.
Baseball is a funny game. This past offseason the Nationals offered Bryce Harper a 10 year $300M deal, only to see the young prospect leave for Philadelphia to take on 2 additional years and $30M more in contract. Baseball experts didn’t think the Nationals would be able to recover with that kind of hole in their lineup, certainly not this season.
From the moment he arrived in Washington, Juan Soto’s combination of youth and maturity has caused everyone to speculate what kind of star he might become. If he is doing this at 19 or 20, what kind of player will he be when he’s 25 or 30? There is nothing more exciting than identifying the great players early in their career and witness them emerge into a star.
However, I think it is important to make the distinction right now that we are not watching an emerging star. He’s not potential; he is the present. Juan Soto is the real deal, and we’ve seen the Astros adjust their approach in pitching to him as the World Series has progressed.
That doesn’t mean he won’t go 0 for 4 on occasion. But his down moments don’t seem to last long, and even if the Nationals don’t win this World Series, I’m convinced we will be seeing him dancing in his dugout after homers for years to come. He has raked all season, and even though his playoff averages don’t compare to his regular-season (.401/.548/.949) he continues to pound the ball in nearly every AB.
“Most of the time, I just take a deep breath and focus. It’s just the pitcher and me. Everybody around, I forget about everybody around. It’s just you and me, and you try and make me out. That’s how everything comes down. And then…I try to enjoy.” The other times? Well, he’s not afraid to give veteran pitchers a run for their money when they jerk him around at the plate.
In this – again, his FIRST postseason – Soto continues to impress with his existing maturity and talent. As the series wraps up in Houston, we will be witnessing many of the dramatic story lines come to their appropriate conclusion. Let’s not forget the emergence of Juan Soto is just the beginning.