Excited Soto gets his first chance to play in front of coaches

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Juan Soto's exuberance, possibly over-exuberance, was understandable. Here was a 19-year-old prospect standing in the batter's box in a major league Grapefruit League game for the first time, pinch-hitting for Howie Kendrick in the bottom of the sixth of Sunday's game against the Tigers.

So when Soto nearly swung out of his shoes a couple of times while striking out against 22-year-old right-hander Gerson Moreno, those in the park with big league experience weren't surprised.

Manager Davey Martinez's message for the kid when he walked back to the Nationals dugout? "Hey, welcome to the big leagues. Keep swinging."

Nobody on the Nats coaching staff was going to make any hard evaluations of Soto off this spring training debut. They simply wanted an opportunity to see him in person for the first time, and a split-squad day (when several players are called up from minor league camp to play in reserve) was the perfect opportunity for it.

Soto admitted it was hard to temper his excitement in that first at-bat.

"It was a little difficult," he said via interpreter Octavio Martinez. "I tried to do a little too much in my first at-bat, and the nerves kind of took over in the first at-bat."

Soto, who replaced Bryce Harper in right field, settled down after that. He came up to bat again in the ninth and grounded out to second. By the end of the day, he had more appreciation for the difference between the competition level he has faced to date and this.

"The biggest thing, I think, is the experience that you see out there," he said. "It seems like the ballplayers know what they're doing, what their purpose is, and they get the job done. They're trying to execute some things. They do a better job of doing that than they do in the minors. And that's what's more noticeable."

If everything goes according to the Nationals' plan, Soto will be a mainstay not only in major league camp but in the major leagues someday soon. Victor Robles may be on the cusp of playing outfield every day in Washington, but many in the organization believe Soto actually will be the better hitter once he arrives a year or two later.

Signed in 2015 as a teenager out of the Dominican Republic for what was at the time a club-record $1.5 million signing bonus, Soto has played in only 83 minor league games over the last two seasons due to injury, including a fractured ankle last year. But his overall numbers in rookie ball and low Single-A - a .362/.418/.535 slash line - have been more than enough to impress onlookers and elevate him into elite-prospect status.

"He's going to be a good one, you can tell," Martinez said. "He's got good mannerisms. The bat speed's really good. So, very exciting. Everybody talks about this window (for the Nationals to win closing) and I see nothing but good young players for the future. I'm excited about it."

Soto figures to open the season at high Single-A Potomac, where the Nationals hope he stays healthy and is able to play through a full minor league season for the first time.

And they fully plan for him to continue to work his way up the organizational ladder. Despite attempts by other clubs this winter to acquire Soto in one of several trade proposals, general manager Mike Rizzo has refused to deal him, putting him in the same no-trade category as Robles.

Soto couldn't help but follow what took place this winter and emerge feeling even better about himself.

"This organization does a great job with its prospects," he said. "You learn a lot. It's a great team to play for. And just the way they go about things and the emotion, it's a great atmosphere. And I was very glad that they value me, but more so that I'm still here, because it's a great team to play for."