Juan Soto

Juan Soto's Biography

Juan José Soto Pacheco, born October 25, 1998, is a professional baseball player from the Dominican Republic. He is best known for his talent as an outfielder for the New York Yankees in Major League Baseball (MLB). Before joining the Yankees, Soto played for the Washington Nationals and the San Diego Padres.

Soto entered the world of professional baseball in 2015 when he signed an international free agent contract with the Washington Nationals. His MLB debut came three years later in 2018, a year that saw him finish second in the running for the National League (NL) Rookie of the Year Award.

2019 was a breakout year for Soto, who played an instrumental role in securing the Nationals’ first World Series championship. His exceptional performance during the tournament led him to receive the prestigious Babe Ruth Award. The following year, he won the National League batting title with a .351 average batting score. Soto is a four-time All-Star recipient and four-time winner of the Silver Slugger Award.

Soto was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, to parents Juan Soto, Sr. and Belkis Pacheco. He has two siblings – an older sister and a younger brother, Elian. Elian followed in his elder brother’s footsteps and signed with the Nationals organization in January 2023 as a third baseman and outfielder. Soto’s father, a local men’s league catcher, played a major role in shaping his son’s baseball career.

In 2015, Soto signed a $1.5 million signing bonus contract with the Nationals. He made his professional debut the following year with the Gulf Coast League Nationals and was named the Gulf Coast League’s (GCL) most valuable player. In September 2016, he was promoted to the Auburn Doubledays of the Class A-Short Season New York-Penn League, where he demonstrated consistent performance.

In 2017, while playing with the Hagerstown Suns of the Class A South Atlantic League, Soto faced challenges due to an ankle injury. Despite this setback, he was ranked as the Nationals’ second-best prospect by MLB Pipeline. After multiple rehabilitation stints and a hamstring injury, he was shut-down for the rest of the season.

Soto kicked off 2018 as a top prospect in the minor leagues, starting the season with the Hagerstown Suns. His exceptional performance led to his early season promotion to the Potomac Nationals in the Class A-Advanced Carolina League. Further success found him playing with the Harrisburg Senators in the Class AA Eastern League. On May 20, 2018, the Washington Nationals called him up to the major leagues for the first time, which was to make up for an injury to Howie Kendrick.

Soto made his MLB debut on May 20, 2018. In his debut match against the Los Angeles Dodgers, he struck out after pinch-hitting in the 8th inning. His first major start was against the San Diego Padres, where he scored his first major-league hit with a 422 ft three-run homer.

Over the years, Soto has established himself as a force to be reckoned with in the major leagues. After an outstanding performance in 2018, Soto repeated his success in 2019 by batting .282/.401/.548 with 110 runs, 108 walks, 34 home runs, and 110 RBIs and successfully stealing 12 bases in 13 attempts. He played a vital role in the Nationals’ triumph during the NL Wild Card Game against the Milwaukee Brewers, which advanced the Nationals to the National League Division Series.

In the 2019 postseason, Soto batted .277/.373/.554 with 5 home runs and 14 RBIs. He played a pivotal role in the Nationals securing their first World Series championship. For his contributions, he became the co-recipient (with Stephen Strasburg) of the 2019 Babe Ruth Award.

Despite a challenging start to the 2020 season with a positive COVID-19 test, Soto returned to the field on August 4 after numerous negative tests. He finished the year strongly by setting a new career record for the longest home run and earning his first National League Player of the Week honor.