Juan Soto

Juan Soto was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, to Belkis Pacheco and Juan Soto Sr. His father played catcher in a local men's league and encouraged Soto and his siblings to make baseball their passion. Soto was naturally right-handed, but his father encouraged him to throw and bat left-handed for a potential advantage. As a child, he trained by hitting crumpled paper, rocks, and bottle caps thrown by his father. Friends called him "Little Robbie" because he idolized Robinson Canó.

The Washington Nationals signed Soto as an international free agent when he was 16. He began his professional career in 2016 with the Gulf Coast League Nationals and was named the league's most valuable player after batting .368 with five home runs and 32 runs batted in. He continued to excel through the minor leagues, batting .362 with a 1.043 on-base plus slugging percentage across his minor-league career.

Soto moved rapidly through the Nationals' system in 2018, playing for Hagerstown, Potomac, and Harrisburg before reaching the major leagues at 19. In his rookie season, he batted .292 with 22 home runs, 79 walks, and a .406 on-base percentage. He finished second to Ronald Acuña Jr. in National League Rookie of the Year voting and became the first teenager to record more than 60 walks while posting an on-base percentage above .400.

Soto became a central figure in the Nationals' 2019 postseason run. During the National League Wild Card Game, he hit a bases-clearing single in the eighth inning to give Washington the lead over the Milwaukee Brewers. He later hit a game-tying home run against Clayton Kershaw in the decisive fifth game of the National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In the World Series against the Houston Astros, Soto hit three home runs and batted .333 with seven runs batted in. He hit a home run in Game 1, another in Game 5, and a go-ahead home run in Game 6. Game 3 took place on his 21st birthday, fulfilling a prediction made by his father years earlier. The Nationals won the series in seven games, capturing the first World Series championship in franchise history. Soto and teammate Stephen Strasburg shared the Babe Ruth Award as the New York chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America's postseason most valuable players.

In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Soto hit .351 to become the youngest player in National League history to win the batting title. He also led qualified major-league hitters in on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS, and earned his first Silver Slugger Award and All-MLB First Team selection. In 2021, he posted a .465 on-base percentage, drew 145 walks, made his first All-Star team, and finished second in National League MVP voting behind former teammate Bryce Harper.

The Nationals traded Soto and Josh Bell to the San Diego Padres at the 2022 trade deadline in a deal that included prospects CJ Abrams, MacKenzie Gore, Robert Hassell III, James Wood, Jarlín Susana, and Luke Voit. Soto received a standing ovation when he returned to Nationals Park ten days later. He finished the 2022 season with 135 walks, the most in Major League Baseball, and won the Home Run Derby at Dodger Stadium.

Soto played all 162 games for San Diego in 2023, hitting 35 home runs, driving in 109 runs, and leading the majors with 132 walks. He was selected to his third All-Star Game and won his fourth consecutive Silver Slugger Award. His 33-game on-base streak from August 26 through October 1 was the third-longest such streak in the major leagues during that season.

The Padres traded Soto and Trent Grisham to the New York Yankees in December 2023. In his only season with New York, Soto hit a career-high 41 home runs, drove in 109 runs, and reached base in 138 of 157 regular-season games. He hit a three-run homer in the 10th inning of Game 5 of the American League Championship Series, sending the Yankees to the World Series. He became a free agent after the Yankees lost the World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Soto joined the New York Mets after the 2024 season. In his first Mets season, he hit 43 home runs and stole 38 bases, becoming the first player in franchise history to record at least 40 home runs and 30 stolen bases in one season. He also became the fifth Met to join the 30-30 club and led the National League in walks with 127.

His 127 walks broke the Mets' single-season record of 125, set by John Olerud in 1999. Soto also became the first player in Major League Baseball history to reach 800 career walks before his 27th birthday. In June, he was named National League Player of the Month after hitting 11 home runs and drawing 20 walks.

Soto's 2025 season included his 1,000th career hit and his 27th career multihomer game before turning 27, surpassing Jimmie Foxx for the major-league record in that category. He and Francisco Lindor became the third pair of teammates in MLB history to record 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in the same season. Soto won his sixth Silver Slugger Award and his first Lou Brock Award after leading the National League in stolen bases.

Soto is known for his exceptional control of the strike zone and ability to draw walks. His hitting style includes a two-strike approach in which he raises his grip on the bat, widens his stance, and lowers his body. He is also capable of driving the ball to every part of the field, including with two strikes.

The "Soto Shuffle" became part of his identity during his 2018 rookie season. After taking a pitch for a ball, he may swing his hips, tap his leg, sweep the dirt with his foot, hop, or lower into a crouch while looking toward the pitcher. Soto explained that he began the routine in the minor leagues to get into pitchers' minds.

In the 2019 National League Championship Series, St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Miles Mikolas responded to the routine with a similar gesture after retiring Soto. Soto later said that Mikolas had earned the right to celebrate because he had gotten him out. Soto subsequently removed the most provocative part of the routine while retaining its other movements.

Soto represented the Dominican Republic in the 2023 World Baseball Classic. He led or tied for the team lead in hits, doubles, home runs, walks, and OPS, and recorded an outfield assist against Nicaragua. He also represented the Dominican Republic in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

In 2021, Soto donated approximately $200,000 from his Home Run Derby and All-Star Game shares to Dominican athletes competing in the Summer Olympics. He also devoted himself to learning English after moving to the United States, using language-learning software and asking teammates to speak with him in English. He became fluent within about a year and a half.