After sensational rookie season, Soto ready for added pressure

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Juan Soto strode into the Nationals clubhouse this morning with all the swagger you expect from him. He gave hugs to teammates he hadn't seen since September, shared offseason stories and confidently conducted a lengthy interview with reporters in English.

He was, in every way, a major league ballplayer completely comfortable in his surroundings.

Which was all the more remarkable when you consider he'd never been in those surroundings before.

Soto, you may recall, wasn't in big league camp last spring. Yes, he appeared in five Grapefruit League games. But that was merely as one of several daily call-ups from minor league camp. He dressed in the minor league clubhouse. He hung out with fellow minor leaguers. He never set foot on the major league side of the complex.

Until this morning.

"I see what a nice clubhouse it is here," he said. "I've never been on this side."

It's a strong reminder of the remarkable path Soto took last season from 19-year-old outfielder at low-Single-A Hagerstown to National League Rookie of the Year runner-up. Everything he did in 2018, on and off the field, was big league. But one year ago at this time, he was very much a minor leaguer.

Now Soto isn't just another guy in major league camp. He's a cornerstone of the Nationals roster, the guy who will in many ways be asked to assume the role Bryce Harper held the last seven seasons as the focal point of a lineup that includes plenty of other talented hitters but nobody who combines pure ability, work ethic and an understanding of the art of hitting like he does.

Few big leaguers on any club's roster, truth be told, offer up the kind of complete package Soto brings to the ballpark every day.

"He goes 0-for-4, he's: 'No big deal' and right back at it," veteran utility man Howie Kendrick said. "I played with another guy that was just like that, and his name was Mike Trout. The guy came in and would play the game, wanted to win every day and just had a great attitude every single day. And I see a lot of those same similarities in Juan."

Yes, that's the kind of lofty praise Soto is drawing right now, not from outside observers but from those who share the clubhouse with him.

If it sounds like too much for a 20-year-old to handle, your concern is justified. And yet, everyone in camp agrees you shouldn't worry about Soto dealing with the pressure.

"Not at all," he said. "I just come here. We've got some (talented) outfielders. With that pressure, I don't feel that."

Manager Davey Martinez's challenge is to make sure things stay that way with his young star.

"For me, it's keeping him grounded," Martinez said. "The biggest (message from) me is not to try to do more. Just go out there. ... I want him to continue having fun and just play the game. I told him: 'Don't put any numbers in your head. Just go out there and have fun like you did last year. Just play the game.'"

Martinez isn't ready to commit to a specific spot in the lineup for Soto this season, but the manager confirmed the obvious and said he'll hit "somewhere near the middle of the order." Common sense suggests Soto and Anthony Rendon will bat third and fourth, one way or the other.

Though opposing pitchers undoubtedly will try to make adjustments to have more success against Soto, the Nationals aren't worried about his ability to react to that. He already has the plate discipline of a veteran All-Star, and he's not about to lose that skill over one winter.

The emphasis this spring will be on Soto's improvement in left field and on the basepaths. He made significant strides last season in the field, learning a new position at the big league level and looking much more comfortable in September than he did when he arrived in May. On the bases, he's never going to be a speedster, but coaches want him to become smarter and better at knowing when to take an extra base and when to hold back.

"I think we're actually going to hone in more on his defensive skills," Martinez said. "This way he's got something else to think about, and not just think about hitting. And work on his baserunning. The importance of doing everything right in this game is going to help you. And he understands that."

There isn't much about baseball Soto doesn't understand. It's what allowed him to make it from minor league camp all the way to Rookie of the Year finalist last season. And it's what the Nationals believe will allow him to ascend to even loftier heights in a sophomore season in which he isn't going to be sneaking up on anybody.