You’re Still The Juan
Juan Soto (NYM): 2-3, 2 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB.
Juan Soto entered the season with all eyes on him after busting baseball’s budgetary boundary with a historic contract. Alas, his tenure in Queens has started slowly; he entered yesterday’s game against the D’Backs hitting .241 with three home runs, and a .336 wOBA, juxtaposing his 2024 with the Bombers, during which he set career-highs in runs, RBI, hits, total bases, and home runs.
But you better believe it, he finally had a big game, drilling his first of what will be many home runs as a Met in Citi Field. Soto’s swat came in the sixth, spoiling a shutout from Zac Gallen. And then in the eighth, he ended a nine-pitch battle with righty reliever Kevin Ginkel by blasting a long flyball to nearly the same spot in left-center, cutting the D’Backs’ lead to 3-2 with his fifth of the year (399 feet, 109.6 EV). Just like that, he’s looking like Juan Soto again.
I’ll admit, as a Yankee fan, I feel thoroughly jilted knowing we won’t get to see him hit back-to-back with Aaron Judge anymore. Even if you root against the Yankees, it’s hard not to imagine the records they could’ve bagged had they finished their careers together. They were just the third set of Yankee teammates to each bang 40 longballs in a season, joining Gehrig, Ruth, Mantle, and Maris. On that note, what if Francisco Lindor and José Ramírez had stayed together? Different circumstances, of course, but what-ifs are always fun to ponder.
He’s now wearing different-colored pinstripes, but he’s still Juan Soto, the generational star who last year became the seventh-youngest player to reach 200 home runs weeks before slugging the Yankees to their first pennant since 2009. Come October, he’ll look to extend his 25-game postseason on-base streak, tied for the third-longest in history. But before that, he’ll look to stake his claim in Mets lore by pushing them to their first division title since their thrilling run to the World Series a decade ago. And, yes, don’t worry, I plan on ogling each of his at-bats through Statcast’s game feed with the unrivaled obsession of a spurned lover stalking Instagram.
Let’s see how the other hitters did Thursday:
Spencer Steer (CIN): 2-3, HR, R, RBI, BB.
He needed this one. Steer’s third of the season came on a 0-2 curveball from righty reliever Riley O’Brien that caught too much of the plate (383 feet, 102.1 EV). Steer is still cruising along the interstate. He entered yesterday’s matinee hitting .263 over his previous ten games, perhaps hinting at a rebound. However, his pull rate is up about seven ticks, and his groundball rate is up about nine points relative to last year. That’s not usually a productive combination, but it might be early-season noise. Regardless, Steer remains a pretty decent bet for 20 home runs and 10 or so steals as a fixture in the Reds’ lineup. Those monitoring his eligibility should note that all 10 of his starts in the field have been at first base; he started 92 games in the outfield, two games at second base, and 56 games at first last season.
Miguel Vargas (CHW): 1-3, HR, R, 3 RBI, BB.
Hey, how about that! He hit his first last Thursday, and here he is again. Nobody cares. Fine. Righty reliever Craig Yoho had the distinction of serving up Vargas’ three-run dinger, pushing the Pale Hose to a 4-0 lead in the sixth. The home run had one of the lowest EVs you’ll see at 94.6. Regardless, Vargas is riding an eight-game hitting streak, pushing his average to .222 with a .644 OPS. The righty had some moments in the minors with the Dodgers, but remains far off the radar.
Seiya Suzuki (CHC): 2-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, BB.
Paul Skenes was off kilter yesterday, and Suzuki took advantage, blasting a hanging, 3-0 splitter over the left field fence. Suzuki’s eighth tater of the year concluded a three-home run barrage by the Cubbies in the fifth; Dansby Swanson and Kyle Tucker hit the others. Suzuki swatted his ninth in the seventh inning, a two-run shot off righty Kyle Nicolas (400 feet, 104.1 EV). He’s started the year exceedingly well, his .990 OPS ranking fifth in baseball.
Maikel Garcia (KCR): 3-5, 2B, R, RBI, 3 SB.
Garcia wasn’t much of a hitter last year, his .270 wOBA ranking dead last among qualifiers. However, he paid his fantasy dues on the bases, ranking sixth with 37 steals. He entered yesterday’s game having been caught five times on nine attempts after having been caught just twice a year ago. Nonetheless, he ran wild against Rays catcher Ben Rortvedt. He’s tied with 11 other players with seven stolen bases, and he’s been pretty decent with the stick early on, hitting .282 with a .336 wOBA.
Jhonkensy Noel (CLE): 1-4, HR, R, RBI.
Big Christmas connected on a changeup near the bottom of the zone from righty Simeon Woods Richardson, and I’m not sure it has landed yet. The 450-foot tank (115.6 EV) pushed the Guardians’ lead to 2-0 in the fourth. Noel had been glued to the bench on the short side of a platoon after hitting .205 with a .299 wOBA across 135 PA against right-handers last year. Still, the Guardians could really use some thump in their lineup, and we’re starting to see his playing time trend in the right direction. Deep leaguers might want to keep an eye on him.
Geraldo Perdomo (ARI): 2-4, HR, R, RBI, BB.
Batting left-handed against the righty Max Kranick, Perdomo swatted his fifth of the year in the seventh; the solo shot pushed the D’Backs’ lead to 3-1. The switch-hitting shortstop doesn’t have much raw power, considering his 12th percentile bat speed, and entered the season with a career .235 batting average and .295 wOBA. However, he’s been a dynamo thus far, hitting .275 with a .357 wOBA. Ketel Marte’s impending return this weekend will likely shift Perdomo to a lower spot in the lineup, which may make it difficult for him to sustain this level of productivity. Still, he’s demonstrated terrific OBP skills with some speed. At the very least, he’s doing his best to postpone Jordan Lawlar’s 2025 debut.
Tim Tawa also homered for the D’Backs and has demonstrated good pop, but will see his playing time disappear with Marte’s return.
Daulton Varsho (TOR): 1-3, HR, R, RBI.
Varsho had surgery on his right shoulder this past September and returned Tuesday after completing a month-long minor league rehab assignment. He poked his first longball on Wednesday, spoiling Lucas Giolito’s return. Last night, hitting cleanup with George Springer out of the lineup, Varsho nearly went yard on a 1-0 splitter from Tanner Houck. Instead, it hooked just over the foul pole. Nonetheless, he took Houck’s next pitch for a ride the opposite way to left, putting the Blue Jays on the board in the seventh (370 feet, 107 EV). Varsho’s batting average likely won’t help, considering his proclivity for pulled fly balls. However, he has enough power and speed to be on the radar in most five-outfielder leagues.
Vlad belted a go-ahead three-run jack in the eighth and has gone yard thrice over his past six games.
Luis García Jr. (WSN): 2-4, 2B, R, RBI, 2 SB.
García put the Nats ahead in the sixth, plating CJ Abrams on a line drive single to left hit off Taijuan Walker. He later stole home, thanks to a bad throw by Phillies catcher Rafael Marchán on a stolen base attempt by Dylan Crews. In the eighth, he smacked a fastball from Joe Ross for a double; the line drive to center had the Nats’ highest EV of the night at 107.4. Take that, James Wood! The 24-year-old lefty was a popular MI pick this past draft season after hitting .282 with a career-high 18 home runs and 22 steals. He owns the 12th-lowest strikeout rate among qualified hitters but has started slowly, hitting .253 with a .290 wOBA. However, he’s come around lately, most notably with a big fly this past Tuesday off Zack Wheeler.
Gleyber Torres (DET): 3-3, HR, R, RBI, BB.
Torres tagged a hanging changeup from Yusei Kikuchi for a go-ahead, solo home run in the third (415 feet, 107.5 EV). He’s started the year well for Detroit, hitting .300, with a .329 wOBA, and he’s already matched last year’s four stolen bases. The 28-year-old appears to have improved his contact ability. His 9.4% strikeout rate would tie Steven Kwan for sixth-lowest if he qualified; he had a 20.4% strikeout rate last year. However, he left the game early with what AJ Hinch deemed precautionary due to hamstring tightness. At least it’s not the oblique acting up again.
Heliot Ramos (SFG): 1-4, HR, R, RBI.
Ramos started the scoring, blasting a 2-0 fastball from lefty Kyle Freeland to deep left-center for his fifth of the year while leading off the home first (429 feet, 112.8 EV). Ramos broke out last year, hitting 22 home runs during his first full season while showcasing an 85th percentile hard-hit rate. He’s been around league-average thus far, hitting .248 with a .318 wOBA. Ramos has excellent raw power, but his 11th percentile chase rate suggests poor swing decisions might be holding him back.
Photo by Julian Avram/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter/X)
