We have years of watching Juan Soto bash home runs, win awards and obliterate benchmarks, but maybe the most fun will be in seeing how he invades the thoughts and intent of opposing pitchers.
He’s only 22 years old; with intense smiles and subtle sneers, his face betrays how absurdly often he diagnoses the pitcher’s plan against him, how he correctly anticipates particular pitches. Even when he doesn’t swing, you can see in his shuffle in the batter’s box and his stare to the mound the great competitive arrogance he has.
Already he possesses all the elements of the best hitters. The ability to make contact — and when he hits the ball, he typically hits it very hard. He also has developed a unique understanding of how opponents plan to get him out, which aids him in making that contact and in driving the ball with power. He rarely chases pitches out of the strike zone.
