San Diego Padres outfielder Juan Soto is, without question, one of the best players in MLB.
He is certainly a top-ten hitter.
When such a player becomes available via trade, teams are on alert, getting ready to offer the Padres all kinds of assets to land him.
The Padres are reportedly looking to cut payroll, and trading Soto would serve that purpose.
Soto is among the most consistent performers in baseball, with a career .946 OPS since making his debut in 2018.
He is consistently great.
However, he is mostly known for his elite plate discipline.
Discerning balls from strikes and making the right decisions at the plate is what sets great hitters apart.
There is no one in baseball better at this than Soto.
The extraordinarily high number of walks he has worked in his career speaks for itself.
“Most walks in MLB games before their 25th birthday: Juan Soto, 640; Mel Ott, 541; Mickey Mantle, 522; Ted Williams, 493; Eddie Yost, 491; Eddie Mathews, 470; Jimmie Foxx, 461; Bryce Harper, 455; Mike Trout, 436; Rickey Henderson, 434,” Codify Baseball tweeted.
Most walks in MLB games before their 25th birthday:
Juan Soto, 640
Mel Ott, 541
Mickey Mantle, 522
Ted Williams, 493
Eddie Yost, 491
Eddie Mathews, 470
Jimmie Foxx, 461
Bryce Harper, 455
Mike Trout, 436
Rickey Henderson, 434 pic.twitter.com/QQzEbeWGAy— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) November 28, 2023
There you have it: Soto had 640 walks before turning 25, his current age.
That’s 99 more than his closest competitor, Mel Ott.
99!
It’s not just the plate discipline, though: to be so feared and respected, a hitter must capitalize on strikes and hold his swing on balls.
If he didn’t punish strikes, pitchers wouldn’t be so afraid of him.
It’s that simple.
That combination of power and patience makes Soto who he is: a true star and a perennial MVP candidate.
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