Full name is Juan José Soto Pacheco...In 2021, donated his shares from the Home Run Derby and All-Star Game — approximately $200,000 — to Olympic athletes from the Dominican Republic...Growing up, he would train with his dad, who would toss crumpled-paper, rocks or bottle caps for him to hit with a bat...His younger brother, Elian, was signed by Washington as a non-drafted free agent on Jan. 15, 2023.
2023
Hit .275/.410/.519 (156-for-568) with 97R, 32 doubles, one triple, 35HR, 109RBI, 132BB and 12SB in 162 games with San Diego…set career highs in home runs and games played and tied his career bests in doubles and stolen bases…was named to his third career All-Star Game and won his fourth straight Silver Slugger Award...Led the Majors in walks, tied for the Major League lead in games played (tied for first in NL), tied for second in game-winning RBI (16, tied for second in NL), ranked third in on-base percentage (second in NL), tied for fourth in runs batted in (tied for third in NL) and ranked eighth in OPS (.930, fifth in NL)…also ranked in the top-10 of the National League in slugging percentage (seventh), WAR among position players (5.5, seventh per FanGraphs), total bases (295, ninth), extra-base hits (68, tied for ninth) and home runs (10th)...Was one of just four Major League players to appear in all 162 games and the only outfielder to do so…was just the sixth player in Padres history to appear in all 162 games in a season, joining Freddy Galvis (2018), Adrián González (2008), Joe Carter (1990), Steve Garvey (1985) and Dave Winfield (1980)...His 132BB were tied with Jack Clark (132BB in 1989) for the most in a season in San Diego history...Posted the sixth-highest OBP in a single season in Padres history, trailing only Tony Gwynn (.454 OBP in 1994 and .447 OBP in 1987), Brian Giles (.423 OBP in 2005), Gene Tenace (.415 OBP in 1977) and Rickey Henderson (.410 OBP in 1996)...His 35HR matched the ninth-most in a season in San Diego history...His 109RBI were the 11th-most in a season in franchise history and the most by a Padre since Chase Headley's 115RBI in 2012..Led the Majors in walks for the third straight season…according to Elias, became one of 11 players all-time to lead the Majors in walks (since walks were first tracked in both leagues in 1913) in three-or-more seasons and joined Ted Williams (1941-42) as the only two players to do so multiple times before turning 25...In 154G/GS in left field, posted a .989 fielding percentage (3E/267TC), which ranked ninth among Major League left fielders…also ranked second among Major League outfielders in starts, third in innings (1345.0) and tied for ninth in assists (10)...Reached base in 139-of-162 games…reached base multiple times in 93 games, the third-most games in the Majors, trailing only Atlanta's Ronald Acuña Jr. (100G) and Los Angeles-NL's Freddie Freeman (94G)…reached base at least three times in 44 games, the third-most in the Majors, trailing only Acuña Jr. (48G) and Freeman (47G)...Hit .299/.439/.576 (43-for-144) with 11 doubles, one triple, 9HR, 71RBI and 39BB with RISP...Batted .283/.424/.556 (112-for-396) with 25 doubles, one triple, 27HR and 99BB vs. right-handed pitchers...Homered in a career-high-tying three straight games twice: 8/1-4 and 9/1-3...Recorded a career-high five multi-HR games: 2HR on 6/19 at San Francisco, 7/21 at Detroit, 8/1 at Colorado, 9/17 at Oakland and 9/26 at San Francisco…his five multi-HR games were tied for the fifth-most in the Majors, trailing only Matt Olson (eight), Aaron Judge (seven), Manny Machado (six) and Mookie Betts (six). 4 Set a career high with 5H on 6/7 vs. Seattle...Recorded multiple hits in a career-high five straight games from 6/19-23...Was selected to his third career All-Star Game and went 1-for-3 in the NL's 3-2 win at T-Mobile Park…recorded a single in the ninth inning off of Pablo López…his single had an exit velocity of 115.4 mph, the hardest-hit ball Statcast has ever tracked in an All-Star Game (since 2015)...Drew his 600th career walk in the eighth inning on 7/20 at Toronto…reached the milestone in 3,096PA, becoming the fastest in Major League history to reach the mark, surpassing Jack Crook (1889-98)...Hit his 150th career HR on 8/26 at Milwaukee off Joel Payamps…at 24 years old, he was one of five left-handed hitters in Major League history to reach the milestone before their 25th birthday, joining Eddie Mathews, Mel Ott, Ken Griffey Jr. and Bryce Harper...Recorded a career-high 6RBI and his first career grand slam in the eighth inning on 9/17 at Oakland...Reached base in a career-high 33 straight games from 8/26-10/1, batting .345/.465/.681 (40-for-116) with 29R, six doubles, 11HR, 33RBI, 26BB and 6SB…was tied for the sixth-longest on-base streak in Padres history, trailing only Ryan Klesko's 56-game streak from 4/9-6/14/02, Phil Nevin's 49-game streak from 7/3-8/29/00, Tony Gwynn's 42-game streak from 4/10-5/30/86, Adrián González's 34-game streak from 9/19/08-5/3/09 and Benito Santiago's 34-game streak from 8/25-10/2/87…was the third-longest on-base streak by a Major League player in 2023, trailing only Colorado's Jurickson Profar's 37-game streak from 4/15-5/30 and Houston's Yordan Álvarez's 36-game streak from 3/30-5/16...During the month of September, hit .340/.440/.711 (33-for-97) with 26R, six doubles, 10HR, 29RBI, 18BB and 6SB in 26 games...Was named the NL "Player of the Week" for 9/11-17 after hitting .458/.500/1.000 (11-for-24) with 9R, one double, 4HR, 13RBI, 3BB and 2SB in six games…marked his second career weekly honor...Drew his 132nd walk of the season in the first inning on 10/1 at Chicago-AL to match Jack Clark (132BB in 1989) for the franchise record in walks in a single season.
2022
Concluded his 2022 campaign leading the Majors with 135walks and 34 multi-walk games...the next closest in total walks were Aaron Judge (111) and Max Muncy (90)....Finished the season ranked sixth in the Majors in OBP (.401)and eighth in the National League in OPS (.853)....On Sept. 21, drew his 500th career walk, becoming the first player since 1906 to walk 500 times before reaching the age of 24....Is 1 of just 3 players in Major League history to reach 500walks within their first 605 career games, joining Max Bishop (532 BB) and Ted Williams (513 BB) in the feat....Crowned the 2022 MLB Home Run Derby champion at Dodger Stadium, becoming the second-youngest player to win the competition....Since making his MLB debut in 2018 through 2022, Soto led the Majors in walks, ranked second in OBP and fourth in OPS....Reached base in 51 of his final 59 regular-season games(.401 OBP), despite going 48-for-202 at the dish (.238)....Over his final 17 regular-season games, hit .302 (19-for-63)with five doubles, three homers and nine RBI, including six multi-hit efforts during the span...in his 17 previous games from Aug. 27- Sept. 15, hit .107 (6-for-56) with a home run and three RBI....Won his third-consecutive Silver Slugger award after hitting 27 home runs and 25 doubles, while posting an .853 OPS....Selected as a Gold Glove Award finalist after turning in a.990 fielding percentage (3 E/310 TC) across an NL-leading 1298.1 innings among outfielders....Tied for second in the NL alongside Brandon Nimmo in games played (151), trailing just Jeff McNeil’s 154 games....Acquired on Aug. 2 with infielder Josh Bell from Washington in exchange for 1B/DH Luke Voit, SS C.J. Abrams, outfielders Robert Hassell III and James Wood, LHP Mackenzie Gore and RHP Jarlin Susana.
POSTSEASON: Reached base safely in 11 of SD's 12 Postseason games (.727 OPS), including each of the final 11 after not reaching base in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series vs. NYM...he collected a hit in nine of those games....Hit .239 (11-for-46) with two doubles, two home runs and seven RBI across 12 games.
2021
Finished runner up for the 2021 National League Most Valuable Player Award...Was named to his first National League All-Star team...Won his second consecutive National League Silver Slugger and First-Team All-MLB awards...Until the final week of the season, was also in a position to win his second consecutive National League batting title...Soto’s .465 on-base percentage led Major League Baseball and was the highest in a full season since 2008 (HOF Chipper Jones, .470)…Soto was the only qualified player in Major League Baseball with more walks than strikeouts...He led Major League Baseball with a 1.56 BB/SO ratio...His 145 walks were the most in a full season since Barry Bonds set the Major League record for walks in a season with 232 in 2004 and the second-most by any player prior to his 23rd birthday behind HOF Ted Williams (147 in 1941)…Vaulted himself into MVP consideration thanks to a strong second half...He hit .348/.525/.639 with 11 doubles, one triple, 18 homers, 53 RBI, 87 walks and 57 runs scored after the All-Star break...His .525 on-base percentage ranked eighth in Major League history for any player after the All-Star break...He reached base safely at least four times in 26 games this season...Only Barry Bonds (2001, 2002, 2004), Hall of Famer Babe Ruth (1920, 1923, 1931) and Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig (1931) put together seasons with at least 26 games in which they reached base safely at least four times... Soto recorded his first career walk-off hit on April 6 vs. Atlanta, an RBI-single in the bottom of the ninth inning off Will Smith...It was the third walk-off win in Nationals Opening Day history (other: March 30, 2008 vs. ATL and April 12, 2012 vs. CIN)…He reached safely in 32 of 35 games (.540 OBP) and 45 of 50 games (.535 OBP) to end the season...On Sept. 23 at Cincinnati, he broke the record for most walks in a season in Nationals history (2005-pres.) passing Bryce Harper (130 in 2015)… Reached base safely in 21 straight games from June 13 to July 4, matching his career-long streak.
2020
Earned his first Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger award, named All-MLB First Team and finished fifth in the National League MVP voting...Secured the National League batting title, finishing the season with a .351 batting average...Led Major League Baseball in all significant rate categories: on-base percentage (.490), slugging percentage (.695), OPS (1.185), wRC+ (200) and wOBA (.478)...Despite missing 13 games, ranked in the National League in intentional walks (1st, 12), walks (4th, 41), fWAR (9th, 2.4), runs scored (T12th, 39), and home runs (T14th, 13)...Was named National League Player of the Week on Aug. 17, following a week in which he hit .462 (12-for-26) with one double, five home runs, 12 RBI, three walks, one stolen base and 12 runs scored in seven games...On Aug. 12 at New York (NL), he recorded his first multi-home run game of the season and the sixth of his career...He followed that with his second multi-homer game of 2020 and the seventh of his career on Aug. 31 at Philadelphia...His seven career multi-home run games sit behind only Hall of Famer Mel Ott (8) for the most multi-home run games before turning 22 years old.
2019
Once again put together an historic season for a player before turning 21 years old...Was named Babe Ruth Postsesaon MVP by the New York BBWAA, second-team All-MLB and a Gold Glove Finalist...His 34 home runs were tied for second-most by a 20-year old in Major League history behind Mel Ott (42 in 1929)...Ranked among National League hitters in walks (3rd, 108), on-base percentage (5th, .401), OPS (6th, .949) and slugging percentage (12th, .548)...Hit go-ahead, game-winning three-run homer on April 9 at Philadelphia (Alvarez)... On July 13 he hit a two-run home run to pull ahead of the Philadelphia Phillies, 4-3...It was his third career go-ahead home run in the ninth inning or later...All three coming against Philadelphia...Recorded a career-high four walks on Sept. 23 vs. Philadelphia...Recorded RBI in career-long seven straight games (7/26-8/2)...Homered in three straight games (7/30-8/2)...Appeared in his first career Postseason and went on to start in 17 Postseason games...Laced game-winning, bases loaded, three-run single in the bottom of the eighth inning that plated Michael A. Taylor, Andrew Stevenson and Anthony Rendon and propelled Washington to the NLDS for the fifth time in team history (2005-pres.)...According to Stats, Inc., he became the youngest player in Postseason history to come through with the game-tying or go ahead RBI in the eighth inning or later...Recorded his second Postseason homer in Game 5 of the NLDS, a game-tying solo home run off Clayton Kershaw...Became the eighth player in MLB history to hit a home run in a Postseason game before his 21st birthday and one of five to homer more than once: Miguel Cabrera (4), Mickey Mantle (2), Andruw Jones (2), Rafael Devers (2), Manny Machado (1), Bryce Harper (1), Ronald Acuña Jr. (1)...Recorded the first NLCS hit of his career in the top of the ninth inning of Game 1...He became the first player younger than 21 years old to notch a hit in an NLCS game since Justin Upton in Game 4 of the 2007 NLCS...He joined Upton, Miguel Cabrera, Andruw Jones and Claudell Washington as the only players to record a hit in an NLCS contest while younger than 21 years old...In Game 1 of the World Series, he clubbed a mammoth solo home run in the top of the fourth inning, to tie the game at 2-2 and in the fifth inning, his two-run double extended Washington's lead to 5-2...Became the youngest player to appear in a World Series game since Adalberto Mondesi (20.095)...Since 1997, only Mondesi, Miguel Cabrera (2003) and Francisco Rodriguez (2002) had appeared in a World Series game prior to their 21st birthday...He became the fourth different player (fifth time) to homer in a World Series game before his 21st birthday, joining Miguel Cabrera (G4, 2003), Andruw Jones (G1, 1996) and HOF Mickey Mantle (G6 and G7, 1952)... Turned 21-years-old on Oct. 25, the day of Game 3...Clubbed his second home run of the World Series in Game 5...Became the fifth player younger than 22 years to hit multiple World Series home runs, joining Hall of Famers Mickey Mantle (4) and Jimmie Foxx (2), as well as Tony Kubek (2) and Andruw Jones (2)...Game 5 marked the first in World Series history in which multiple players age 22-or-younger hit a home run (Yordan Alvarez and Juan Soto)...Clubbed his third home run of the World Series in Game 6, becoming the youngest player in history to record three home runs in a single World Series...The homer was his fifth of the 2019 Postseason, passing Miguel Cabrera (2003) for the most home runs in a single Postseason by a player younger than 22 years old...He became the youngest player since Mickey Mantle (1952) to log an RBI in a World Series Game 7 and he joined Mantle (1953) as the only players in history age 21-or-younger to collect seven RBI in a single Fall Classic...His 18 hits in the Postseason matched Miguel Cabrera (2003) for most hits in a single Postseason by a player younger than 22 years old.
2018
As a 19 year old, finished runner up in the National League Rookie of the Year voting as he put together one of the most historic seasons for a teenager in MLB history (see info boxes below)...Began his season with Single-A Hagerstown before getting promoted to Single-A Potomac on April 23 and to Double-A Harrisburg on May 10...Appeared in just eight games with the Senators before having his contract selected on May 20...Clubbed a three-run home run in his first at bat the next day, May 21 vs. San Diego (Erlin)...Not only did he rank among the top National League rookies, but from May 15 (the first game in his game log, due to the suspended game vs. NYY) through the end of the season he ranked among all National League hitters in walks (T4th, 79), on-base percentage (5th, .406), runs (T6th, 77) and OPS (8th, .923)...Moreover, among all National Leaguers (min. 490 PA), he ranked in on-base percentage (2nd, .406), OPS (3rd, .923), slugging percentage (10th, .517) and batting average (12th, .292)...Finished his rookie season with a .292 batting average, .406 on-base percentage and a .517 slugging percentage...He is just the 15th rookie in Major League history - and the only teenager - to finish a season with that slash line...His .406 OBP placed him in exclusive company with 2017 AL Rookie of the Year Aaron Judge and 2001 National League Rookie of the Year Albert Pujols (.403 in 2001)...Since 2001, Soto, Judge and Pujols are the only rookies to post an on-base percentage greater than .400 in their rookie season (min. 400 PA)...Named NL Rookie of the Month for June, July and Sept...On June 13, recorded the first multi-home run game of his career with a three-run blast in the fourth inning and a go-ahead solo home run in the seventh inning to help the Nationals top the Yankees at Yankee Stadium... He became the fifth-youngest player in MLB history to record at least two home runs in a game...He joined ATL Andruw Jones (10/20/96), SEA Ken Griffey Jr. (5/30/89) and CWS Brian McCall (9/30/62) as the only teenagers since 1962 to record multi-HR games on the road against the Yankees... Went on to record two more multi-home run games (6/29 at PHI and 9/11 at PHI)...Posted a 21-game on-base streak from Aug. 24 to Sept. 16...Hit .370 (30-for-81) with four doubles, five homers, 19 RBI and 15 walks during the streak...His 21-game on-base streak tied HOF Mickey Mantle and trailed only HOF Mel Ott (22 games in 1928) for the longest on-base streak by a teenager in MLB history...With three stolen bases on Sept. 15 at Atlanta, he became the youngest player since 1900 to steal three bases in a game, besting Rickey Henderson (20 years, 241 days)...Following the season, took part in the 2018 Japan All-Star Series...Hit .350 (7-for-20) with two doubles, two homers, five RBI, two walks and six runs scored in five games