6 years agoWashington Nationals outfielder Juan Soto was 19 years old last season and posted a .923 OPS in 494 MLB plate appearances. Just let that soak in for a moment and consider that, of qualified players in baseball history, no other teen has had as high of an OPS with more than 55 plate appearances. Also, keep in mind that only Tony Conigliaro had more home runs (24) than Soto (22) and only Mel Ott (.921) had an OPS close to Soto’s. There is a reason that he is called the ‘Childish Bambino’ and why he could be gone as early as the back end of the 2nd round come draft day. If you are questioning Soto’s performance at all, remember that he had a 1.218 OPS in 182 minor league plate appearances last season and jumped from A-ball to Triple-A to the majors in a few months. If you combine his minor league and major league numbers from last season, Soto had a .310 batting average with 36 home runs, 76 extra-base hits, 122 RBI, 110 runs scored, and (most impressively) 108 walks. It is rare for a veteran to have this combination of power and patience, but, for a 19-year-old to post a .406 OBP and 22 home runs in 116 MLB games, it shows that he is special. Soto had a walk rate in the teens throughout the minors, making his 16% BB rate in the majors look sustainable. A 20.3% soft hit ball rate and 53.7% ground ball rate show that Soto may have been a bit lucky (as do his .338 BABIP and 24.7% HR/FB rate), but look for the 20-year-old to adjust in 2019. Soto should be situated in the middle of the Nationals lineup for 2019 and, even if they are without Bryce Harper, will still have an ample opportunity for run production. With OBP-mavens like Adam Eaton and Trea Turner at the top of the lineup and a 2018 MVP candidate in Anthony Rendon directly in front of him, Soto should be a safe bet for 100+ RBI. If he is able to post an OPS in the .900s once again, there is a good chance that he finishes as an OF1.--Chris Zolli