San Diego’s Juan Soto bats against the San Francisco Giants on Oct. 3.
(Gregory Bull / Associated Press)
When the Padres sent six prospects to Washington to acquire Soto on Aug. 2, they thought they were getting one of baseball’s best young sluggers, a left-handed-hitting right fielder with elite power and plate discipline.
But Soto, 23, battled back tightness in late-August and closed the season by hitting .198 (22 for 111) with a .679 OPS, three homers, five doubles, 10 RBIs, 14 runs, 22 strikeouts and 26 walks in 32 games since Aug. 29.
The Padres need Soto to hit more like he did in the 2019 postseason, when he batted .277 with a .927 OPS, five homers and 14 RBIs in 17 games to lead the Nationals to the World Series title. Two hard-hit singles in Game 2 and two hits, including a two-run single, in Game 3 against the Mets might be a good omen.
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