District On Deck
FanSided

Washington Nationals: Our staff’s midseason review

By Brian Foley

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 17: Bryce Harper #34 of the Washington Nationals and the National League walks back to the dugout after a strikeout in the fourth inning against the American League during the 89th MLB All-Star Game, presented by Mastercard at Nationals Park on July 17, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 17: Bryce Harper #34 of the Washington Nationals and the National League walks back to the dugout after a strikeout in the fourth inning against the American League during the 89th MLB All-Star Game, presented by Mastercard at Nationals Park on July 17, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 8
Next
Washington Nationals Juan Soto
(Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

Any NL awards – MVP, Cy Young, or Rookie of the Year – for the Nats?

Picks: NL Cy Young – Max Scherzer (8 of 9 votes), NL Rookie of the Year – Juan Soto (8 of 9 votes)

All hail Soto the Wunderkind! At the midway point, District on Deck tabbed the 19-year-old outfielder as the undisputed National League Rookie of the Year.

Soto is batting a remarkable .301/.411/.517 this season and spraying liners all over the field, but his talent might stand out most when he isn’t making contact.

He already leads the Nationals in pitches per plate appearance (4.11). He spits on pitches out of the zone, only swinging at balls 25.3 percent of the time.

For reference, Harper – who has the seventh-most walks in the MLB since 2012 – swung at 34.5 percent of pitches when he was 19 years old. Soto remains extraordinarily comfortable throughout each at-bat, and his .313 OBP with two strikes is evidence of his relaxed approach.

Last month, we analyzed Soto’s competition for the NL Rookie of the Year award, and not much has changed. Soto’s unsightly defense is a black mark against his candidacy, but his mature attitude and impressive power at the dish easily outweigh the negatives.

Scherzer is also the favorite to capture the NL Cy Young award. Scherzer currently sits behind New York’s Jacob deGrom and Philadelphia’s Aaron Nola in WAR and ERA, but his dominance in nearly every category sets him apart. However, the NL East race could tip the scales in Nola’s favor if the Phillies cruise to the playoffs while the Nats falter.

Home/Nationals News