December 15, 2020

Things just keep getting better for the Nationals' 22-year-old superstar. After dazzling with a .287/.403/.535 triple-slash line over his first two seasons (266 games), Juan Soto took his game to a level that many people did not think possible. The young phenom slashed .351/.490/.695 in 47 games in 2020, and improved drastically from an already elite strikeout-to-walk ratio, posting a 14.3% strikeout rate with a 20.9% walk rate. His career 16.9% walk rate puts him third in the league since his debut in 2018 (behind only Mike Trout and Bryce Harper), and the career 19.2% strikeout rate checks in three points below the league average. Some speculation about his continued elite home run production is fair given the fact that he has posted ground-ball rates above 50% in two of his three career seasons. He has hit home runs at a rate that appears tough to sustain given his propensity for the ground-ball, but the career exit velocity (90.6 mean, 113.7 max) and barrel rate (12.3%) metrics provide some cozy feelings about his continued power production. Throw in the fact that Soto has 23 steals in his 313 games (a 162-game pace of 12), and you have the profile of a true five-category stud. In on-base percentage leagues, Soto can absolutely be considered with the first overall pick, and he is a no-questions-asked top-five hitter regardless of the format.--Jon Anderson