After acquiring superstar outfielder Juan Soto from the Washington Nationals in 2022, the San Diego Padres felt primed to have a stellar season the following year.
Things didn't exactly work out as the Padres envisioned, and San Diego ended up trading Soto to the New York Yankees the following offseason. The Padres reportedly had challenges in getting Soto connected and engaged with the team, according to Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic:
“Some of the Padres coaches were at their wits’ end. They had called former Nationals coaches, teammates, anyone who knew Soto and might have any insight into how to assimilate him into San Diego’s system. Some of Soto’s teammates also sensed that he was distant.
When closed-doors hitters’ meetings began before each series, Soto would often have his AirPods in his ears, three team sources told The Athletic. Teammates were perturbed, even though he had a legitimate reason: The early minutes were often spent on opposing pitchers’ “tells,” or signs they might be tipping pitches. Soto, who has always been a cerebral hitter, told the coaches he didn’t want those details floating around his brain in the batter’s box.
The headphones were a small oddity, but the situation reflected the Padres’ broader issues, which ranged from the clubhouse to the top of the front office, as detailed by The Athletic last year. No one could agree on how to reach their newest star. Some in the organization thought Soto should be left alone, that a hands-off approach was best. Others thought they should be in more contact with Soto, checking in with him daily, assessing his moods and trying to find workarounds in hopes of a breakthrough.”
Juan Soto traded from the Padres to the New York Yankees
Soto reportedly could sense that the Padres were not going to offer him the MLB contract that he felt he was worth and knew that San Diego would only be a pit stop. Once the team was tasked with cutting payroll, it became official – Soto was headed to the Yankees.
So far, Soto has started the season red-hot. How hot? Well, how does a .529 batting average with one home run and an OPS of 1.365 sound? The star hitting is also making an impact on defense, with a crucial throw in Game 1 saving the day. Soto is exactly what the Yankees have needed and then some.
After the final win in a season opening four-game sweep over the Astros, Soto remarked that this is the best debut he could've asked for. After dropping a performance like that, no one can really argue that fact.
“That's the kind of start I wanted,” Soto said with a laugh. “I grinded really hard this offseason and in spring training to be successful in the beginning of the season.”
Head into Wednesday's action, Soto is batting .417 with a home run, 4 RBIs, and an OPS of 1.101.
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