Dramatic NL batting race has all kinds of D.C. connections

As much as he wishes he could, Juan Soto can't help but notice his batting average when he steps to the plate. And even if he manages to avoid it, he can't help but hear about it from others.

"You try to keep your mind away from it," the Nationals right fielder said in a Zoom session with reporters Sunday. "You decide to come out and play, have fun. But there's always comments. The comments are always going to come to you. Everybody, all my teammates, are just pushing me and wishing me the best for all that. You can't not look at it.

"So, yeah, I've been following it. I've been tracking it."

At this point, if you're not tracking the race for the National League batting title, you're missing out on some juicy drama with some major D.C. connections.

As the penultimate week of the season begins today, there are three serious contenders to win the 2021 batting title, and you'll certainly recognize their names: Trea Turner is leading with a .316 batting average, followed closely behind by Soto at .315 and Bryce Harper at .313.

Yep, the NL's three highest batting averages this late in the season belong to one current National and two former ones, all of them having played together here in 2018.

"I was thinking about it the other day: We were just teammates all together and now we're fighting for the batting title," Soto said. "It is amazing."

Amazing, and also just a bit awkward for anyone who cares about the Nats and perhaps can't bear the thought of a former National finishing with the highest batting average in the league. Just know that it's not awkward for the participants. They think it's pretty cool.

"I talked with Trea. He likes it," Soto said. "He said it's just fun to compete with each other and try to see who's the best."

Soto has a leg up on the other two because he's already won a batting title, albeit during the shortened 2020 season. Harper came close during his MVP campaign of 2015, but his .330 final average wound up three points below Dee Strange-Gordon. Turner finished fourth in last year's race, even with a stout .335 average.

For Soto, a second straight batting title would be a significant achievement.

"He's been great," manager Davey Martinez said. "He gives himself a chance to hit every pitch. That's all you can ask for. I hope that he continues to swing. I want to see him win another batting title. Back-to-back, that's hard to do. But he's got a chance to do it."

Soto has put himself in this position in spite of an underwhelming first half to his season. He entered the All-Star break batting .283 with a .407 on-base percentage, .a 445 slugging percentage and a .852 OPS that ranked 15th in the NL.

But since the All-Star break - and since he put on a show in the Home Run Derby at Coors Field - Soto is putting up video game numbers: a .360/.525/.656 offensive slash line that adds up to a 1.181 OPS. Only Harper, with a 1.247 OPS, despite a lower batting average and on-base percentage than Soto, has been better in the second half.

"It's truly remarkable to possess the power, the average, the solid defense, the energy, the personality," Rockies manager Bud Black told reporters Sunday after watching Soto launch a 454-foot homer nearly to the concourse in deep right-center field. "What a package, what a player. He makes baseball better."

It wasn't that long ago that Soto seemed to be having a disappointing season, at least by the lofty standards he has set for himself. He wasn't hitting for power, he was grounding into a ton of double plays.

Now, though, he finds himself with season totals (.315/.459/.531, 26 homers, 100 runs, 86 RBIs, .990 OPS) that stack up favorably with his 2019 stats. And with 13 games still to go, there's more opportunity to add to those totals and head home for the winter feeling like he had another big season after all.

"Everybody was going crazy (earlier in the season): 'Oh, I'm going down. Whatever.' " Soto said. "I just say: It's not how you start, it's how you finish. That's why I keep my mindset, and it just comes down to keep playing baseball and just have fun. Because the numbers are going to be there. Just try to enjoy it day by day."