Washington Nationals slugger Juan Soto is the talk of the week, after it was revealed he will be participating, once again, in the Home Run Derby.
Soto’s power, while obvious, is not precisely his calling card: walks are.
He has earned lots and lots of walk to date.
However, he also has some impressive raw and game power.
How many hitters capable of having 115 home runs before turning 24 do you know?
And the best part is that his power is for all field: he is not a pull-happy slugger.
He can hit a home run to every part of the field, and that’s one of the things that make him special.
Think of a left-handed Miguel Cabrera.
That’s not bad, right?
“Anybody Can Pull The Ball”
In fact, he wants to showcase that specific ability in the Derby: everybody can hit a pulled home run, but few batters can go the other way with power.
According to the Washington Post’s Chelsea Janes, “Soto said his goal for the derby is to hit the longest opposite-field homer ever. ‘Anybody can pull the ball.’”
Soto said his goal for the derby is to hit the longest opposite-field homer ever. “Anybody can pull the ball.”
— Chelsea Janes (@chelsea_janes) July 12, 2022
He is right: hitting the ball to the opposite field with authority is a skill, and few players have it.
Pulled home runs are not necessarily bad: a homer is a homer.
However, those kind of hitters are often more susceptible to certain pitches and zones.
Soto, who already had an impressive showing in the 2021 Home Run Derby – one that included a few opposite-field bombs – is trying to please fans in his own way.
With all the pulled homers we are likely to see, it’s refreshing to see power but from a different angle.
We are all looking forward to watching the kid destroy the ball next Monday.
