Juan Soto, In Historical Perspective

The names Soto's shuffling shoulders with are baseball royalty

Over a century-and-a-half of what we know today as Major League Baseball, there have been countless names and faces to make their way through this beautiful game.

As of Saturday, since the Cincinnati Red Stockings pulled up those crimson hose for the very first time in 1869, a total of 23,370 players have joined them within those hallowed ranks. Hall of Famers, stars, lunchpail guys, cogs, fringe players—the grandest of pecking orders, some might say.

Simply put, players like Juan Soto don’t come around very often. Since his rise to superstardom with the Nationals, to his stratospheric value being shuffled back and forth across the country twice in trades to San Diego then The Bronx, to his new home in Flushing, the 26-year-old Dominican product has wowed at every stop.

Yes, I am aware he’s less than a handful of Grapefruit League games into his New York Mets’ tenure, but come on folks. Have you seen what this young man has been doing so far? In practice games???

After hitting an impressive opposite-field home run is first spring at-bat with the Mets on February 22 vs. Houston, Soto went yard again on Friday against the Nats at Clover Park, possibly even more impressively.

Special stuff. But to be honest, that’s kinda all Soto’s done since making his debut in 2018. Under the microscope of being named an heir apparent to all-time legends by the time he could legally drink, Juan Soto has not disappointed.

Over 936 MLB games (4088 PA), he’s hit .285/.421/.532 with 179 doubles, 201 home runs, 655 runs scored, 592 runs driven in, and has drawn more walks than anyone in baseball by a wide margin (769 to Bryce Harper’s second-best 580 over that span), with just a paltry 17.0% strikeout rate.

Through his age-25 season, Soto’s production places him in some extremely lofty company.

Among Hall of Famers over those parameters, Soto’s 158 weighted runs created plus (wRC+) would put him just behind Rogers Hornsby (161), Tris Speaker (164), and Jimmie Foxx (166) during that age span.

His 36.2 wins above replacement (FanGraphs) sits in the middle of an eye-opening quintet of baseball royalty (again, through their age-25 seasons).

Hank Aaron (36.5 fWAR), Eddie Collins (36.4), Soto (36.3), Ted Williams (36.2), and Joe DiMaggio (36.0) would make up the 10-15 spots on this list, to give you an idea of just how rare this all is.

We’ve heard the “today’s Ted Williams” buzz. For context, The Splendid Splinter hit .356/.481/.642, with 127 HR, 183 wRC+, and 36.2 fWAR over just 582 games before turning 26, which is downright ridiculous.

I like the seldom-used Frank Robinson comp much better, personally.

Over 888 games through age 25, Robinson (the first dual-league MVP in MLB history) hit .302/.384/.561 with 177 doubles (Soto, 179) 202 home runs (Soto, 201), 618 runs scored (Soto, 655), and 573 RBIs (Soto, 592), 145 wRC+, and 35.1 fWAR. Uncanny.

In case you forgot, Juan Soto is a member of the New York Mets for the next 15 years. Be sure to get your popcorn ready.