San Diego Padres star Juan Soto has struggled ever since he was traded to the Padres last season. Many people around the MLB world felt that Soto would bounce back with a fresh start in 2023, but that hasn't been the case. Soto receives plenty of help from MLB coaches and teammates, but he most recently received potentially game-changing advice from an unlikely source; his little league baseball coach Rafael Zapata, per Hector Gomez.

“He's opening up too much and is around the ball right now,” Zapata said. “That’s not the Soto I trained because he is right now hitting with a stance that’s too open and he is not going to hit the ball hard even if his soft thrown to him.”

Article Continues Below
More San Diego Padres News
San Diego Padres left fielder Gavin Sheets (30) celebrates with the dugout after hitting a double during the fourth inning against the Washington Nationals at Petco Park.
Gavin Sheets does it all for Padres vs. RedsAbdullah Imran ·
San Diego Padres starting pitcher Michael King (34) pitches during the second inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Petco Park.
Padres Michael King takes crucial step towards injury returnZachary Howell ·
New York Mets right fielder Juan Soto (22) waves to the fans after defeating the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field.
Padres’ A.J. Preller drops truth bomb on Juan Soto trade with NationalsColin Loughran ·
Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller (23) throws against the Toronto Blue Jays during the fourth inning at Rogers Centre.
2 sneaky trades Padres must make to boost World Series chancesCameron Zunkel ·
Padres news: Xander Bogaerts absent from lineup after injury scare
Padres’ Xander Bogaerts absent from lineup after injury scareChris Spiering ·
Jun 24, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Ryan Bergert (38) walks off the field with San Diego Padres medical staff after being hit by a line drive during the fourth inning against the Washington Nationals at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: David Frerker-Imagn Images
Ryan Bergert shares outlook after painful incident vs. NationalsZachary Draves ·

Soto, 24, is considered to be one of the best hitters in baseball. However, his placement among the game's most talented hitters has dwindled amid his current slump. Soto currently owns a lackluster .183/.345/.344 slash line with a .689 OPS and four home runs. He's still getting on base at a decent clip, but Juan Soto is struggling to record hits without question.

He's been vocal about his frustrations with the new MLB pitch clock. Perhaps that is a factor in his lowly numbers on the season. Additionally, some experts around the league believe Soto has been too passive at the plate, often trying to work walks instead of being aggressive. However, maybe it is just a mechanical concern like Zapata stated. If Soto is “opening up too much,” like Zapata said, that wouldn't be too difficult of a problem to fix.

It will be interesting to see if Juan Soto takes his former little league coach's advice.