The Washington Nationals plan on calling up prospect Juan Soto before Sunday’s series finale against the Los Angeles Dodgers, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. The move was decided after Washington lost Howie Kendrick, one of their outfielders, for the season after he ruptured his right Achilles’ tendon in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader.
Soto’s arrival will conclude a stunningly rapid rise through the Nationals’ farm system. The 19-year-old Dominican was playing for Class A Hagerstown a month ago, mashing South Atlantic League pitching until the Nationals were forced to promote him. He did the same in the Carolina League with Advanced Class A Potomac and earned another promotion earlier this month to Class AA Harrisburg. His time with Harrisburg was limited, but he slugged there, too, batting .323 with a 1.043 OPS and two home runs in eight games. All told, Soto is hitting .362 with 14 home runs and a 1.218 OPS in 39 games across three levels.
When he debuts, Soto, who signed for $1.5 million in 2015, will be the first teenager to play in a game for the Nationals since Bryce Harper in 2012. While the hype surrounding Soto hasn’t reached Harper levels, it has amplified in recent weeks after injuries limited him to 32 games last season, matching the Nationals’ internal assessments. A left-handed-hitter, Soto has drawn comparisons to Paul O’Neill, Raul Ibanez, and Rafael Palmeiro within the organization. He is lauded for his strike-zone discipline. While the injured Victor Robles, a five-tool talent, is Washington’s consensus top prospect, the Nationals believe Soto will also be a star. They combine for good outfield insurance should Harper sign elsewhere after the season.
For now, Soto will share the outfield at some point in the near future with Harper, almost certainly as a left fielder. He probably won’t start Sunday, not with the Dodgers starting left-hander Alex Wood on the mound. But Soto will get his chances. The Nationals aren’t calling up one of baseball’s hottest prospects to have him sit on the bench. They’ll give him a chance to bolster a shorthanded lineup, hopeful he’ll continue decimating pitching at another level.
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