It’s pretty rare to find MLB pitchers eager to face Juan Soto in high-pressure situations.
In a recent anonymous poll conducted among players, Soto was selected as the batter that pitchers would least like to confront in Game 7 of the World Series.
The Mets outfielder received 15.6% of the votes cast by 64 pitchers, surpassing Shohei Ohtani, who garnered 14.1%, and Aaron Judge, who had 9.4%.
What makes Soto such a daunting opponent?
One pitcher mentioned to The Athletic, “He’s incredibly disciplined. He rarely swings at anything soft. If it’s in the zone, he makes solid contact.” The pitcher continued, “His level of discipline is almost scary; it feels like you absolutely need to make the perfect pitch, especially in crunch time.”
Discipline emerged as a common theme among the pitchers quoted, which is understandable given that Soto has drawn more walks over the past five seasons (596) than any other batter in the league.
Another pitcher commented, “His control of the strike zone is phenomenal, and I know he won’t chase bad pitches. Plus, he has tremendous power and can hit well to any part of the field. He’s incredibly challenging to face.”
The 26-year-old Soto currently has a batting average of .248, with 33 RBIs and 12 home runs, stumbling through his time with the Mets after signing a record 15-year, $765 million contract. Yet he maintains a solid 142 OPS+, indicating he’s starting to find his rhythm.
Over the weekend, Soto went 11-6, illustrating his prowess with five walks as the Mets swept the lowly Rockies. On Sunday, he reached base six times, including three singles and three walks, contributing to a 13-5 victory over Colorado.
Then, in a dramatic 5-4 walk-off win against the Nationals on Tuesday, Soto achieved a 4-2 record, including an RBI double and a solo home run.
After the game, he spoke about his hitting strategy, saying he focuses on “hunting for mistakes.”
As one source put it, “He capitalizes on mistakes consistently. He doesn’t chase pitches outside the zone.”
