Juan Soto is just 23 years of age. But, he has emerged as one of the best hitters in baseball in just four short seasons in the big leagues.
On Friday, Soto reached the milestone of 500 career hits. He became the second-youngest Nationals player to reach the milestone only trailing Bryce Harper. However, Soto did so in an anticlimactic way.
Facing the San Francisco Giants, Soto ripped a liner off the right field out-of-town scoreboard that just missed being a home run. As the Giants outfielder scrambled to get the ball, Soto rounded the bases trying to stretch a double into a triple. However, Soto was thrown out at third by center fielder Mauricio Dubon.
You can hear the disappointment in the voice of Nats play-by-play announcer Bob Carpenter.
The Nationals challenged the umpire’s call. But the call was upheld after the review.
Still, it’s a notable accomplishment. He’s 1/6 of the way towards 3,000 hits. It’s a feat that he’s on the path for, even if it’s not in a Nationals uniform.
He joined an elite club of reaching 500 hits before his 24th birthday. That list includes Harper, Mike Trout, Miguel Cabrera, Manny Machado, Elvis Andrus and Albert Pujols, according to MLB.com’s Jessica Camerato.
