Juan Soto Hasn’t Settled in Whatsoever as a Padre
Boos are starting to waft into Petco Park. The pride of Major League Baseball is slumping mightily, a far cry from what most are used to. That man is Padres outfielder Juan Soto, the biggest acquisition for any team at the trade deadline.
So far as a member of San Diego, Soto is slashing .232/.397/.374 in 127 plate appearances with just three home runs and six runs batted in to show for it. He is earning his walks, hence why his on-base percentage is as high as it is. Lately, however, his performance has taken a turn for the worse.
In his last 18 games, his batting average sits at a horrid .154 with an equally terrible .596 on-base plus slugging. Soto’s seasonal average has dropped from .257 to a current .243. His OPS has also dropped from an excellent .903 down to .866.
To make matters even worse, Soto suffered a bruised right shoulder in Wednesday’s ballgame against the Diamondbacks, forcing him to leave. He is expected to return Friday, but this could affect his play even more, and not for the better.
Here is Soto’s response to his struggles with his new team.
“The challenge is just going from a team that doesn’t care about anything because they know they don’t go anywhere to a team that has a really good chance to win the World Series,” Soto said. “That changes everything from one day to another.”
Quote via The San Diego Union Tribune
What is going for him, luckily, is his unbelievable eye at the plate. He still provides some value to the team as someone who strives upon getting on base. The major concern is his drop-off in power. After all, this was the man who won the Home Run Derby, with 20 home runs up to that point.
Not to worry Padres fans. It can be hard to get adjusted to a new team, but I really believe he will come out of this slump and play the game his way. Juan Soto is still a generational talent who will be in the conversation with the all-time greats. Everyone just has to be patient.
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