NatsGM Prospect Spotlight – Juan Soto

Juan Soto                           OF                         Harrisburg Senators

DOB: 10/25/98   Height: 6-1   Weight: 185lbs   Bats: Left   Throws: Left

Future Grades:   Hit (70)   Power (60)   Arm (50)   Defense (50)   Speed (45)

Juan Soto signed as an international free agent with Washington in July 2015 for $1.5 million.  Soto is a 19-year-old left-handed hitting and throwing outfielder.  Listed at 6-1 185lbs, he has added muscle, especially in his upper-body, since last season – he has broad shoulders, good musculature and appears closer to 200lbs.  Soto possesses below-average to fringe-average speed, consistently posting 4.23-4.27 second times home to first.  He plays with an impressive self-confidence and the swagger of someone who knows he is good.


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Offensively Soto has a natural ability to barrel the baseball and a preternatural feel for the strike zone.  Soto possesses lightning-quick hands and wrists, along with outstanding hand-eye coordination.  He generates excellent bat speed and whips the barrel through the zone.  Soto has an obvious plan at the plate to hunt fastballs, but is not afraid to work the count and hit with two strikes.  He uses the entire field and has started punishing pitches to left field this season.

Soto has impressive raw power, hitting home runs both in batting practice and game action to all fields.  In addition, he has noticeably improved against left-handed pitching and looks much more confident this season.  He needs additional experience at Double-A against quality breaking pitches, but Soto is easily the best hitter I have seen at this level since Bryce Harper.  I project Soto as a future “70” hit (1st 70 ever on a hit tool) and a “60” power hitter.

Defensively Soto lags behind his prodigious offensive skills, although he has made strides this season to improve in the field.  Soto possesses fringe-average speed and athleticism, along with an average arm, which allows him to play a solid right field.  He has improved his routes and reactions this season, giving him more range.  As he matures, I worry his foot speed will decrease more than his improving instincts can compensate for.  Soto should play a solid right field for a couple years, but he profiles as a fringe-average (“45”) defender in right field and likely a (“50”) in left.

Juan Soto is special.  He is particularly interesting due to his ability to hit for both average and power.  His bat speed, coupled with incredible barrel skills, combine to create a “different sound off his bat”.  The biggest knock is his lack of competition at Double-A and how he will react to better quality breaking balls in the future.  Furthermore, with Soto projecting as fringe-average to average defensively, the majority of his value will come from his bat, which limits his prospect floor.  Soto profiles as a .285-.300 hitter at the big league level, with 25-30 home runs annually.  I will be surprised if anything besides injury curtails Juan Soto into becoming a dynamic major league hitter.

* After writing this, Soto was unexpectedly promoted from Double-A Harrisburg to Washington.  I anticipate this to be a short-term promotion and he will return to Double-A for more seasoning this summer, with the caveat that he might hit so well he stays in Washington.  Essentially, I have stopped betting against what Juan Soto can do. *

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