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Washington Nationals: Three Bold Predictions For 2022

By Max Rayman

DENVER, CO - JULY 11: Cade Cavalli #20 of National League Futures Team pitches against the American League Futures Team at Coors Field on July 11, 2021 in Denver, Colorado.(Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - JULY 11: Cade Cavalli #20 of National League Futures Team pitches against the American League Futures Team at Coors Field on July 11, 2021 in Denver, Colorado.(Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /
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Juan Soto
WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 03: Juan Soto #22 of the Washington Nationals walks to the dugout after striking out against the Boston Red Sox at Nationals Park on October 03, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) /

Juan Soto Wins His First MVP Award

Ok, this may not seem like a hot take because Juan Soto is already one of the best hitters in baseball and he just recently finished second in NL MVP voting. But keep in mind it’s hard for a player to win MVP when their team misses the playoffs, even more so when they finish last in the division.

But the 23-year-old superstar will be taking home the hardware this year while becoming the third player to win MLB MVP on a last-place team. The only two players to accomplish this are Expos legend, Andre Dawson with the Cubs in 1987, and Alex Rodriguez with the Rangers in 2003.

Last year, Soto received six first-place votes and 274 points compared to Bryce Harper’s 17 first-place votes and 348 points.

Soto’s fresh off of a season where he slashed .313/.465/.534, with 29 homers, 95 RBIs, and an OPS of .999. Now with new hitting coach Darnell Coles in tow that helped Ketel Marte and Christian Yelich turn into stars, expect Soto to enter Mike Trout territory.

Having Josh Bell and Keibert Ruiz provide protection in the lineup, expect Soto to hit 40+ homers with 120+ RBIs.

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