Opposite field remains Soto's best friend

JUPITER, Fla. - It was a home run off a minor league reliever on Feb. 25. It's not going to make Juan Soto any money or help the Nationals win any games that actually matter.

And yet it was impossible to watch Soto's blast off Cardinals right-hander Seth Elledge during Tuesday's 9-6 exhibition win and not react with the same astonishment and approval that accompanies any gargantuan blast by the 21-year-old star slugger.

Soto's homer, the first by a Nationals batter so far this spring, came off a high 3-1 fastball from Elledge. It soared toward left center field, cleared the outfield wall with tons of room to spare and clanked off the railing of the balcony of the Marlins' clubhouse and front office building beyond the left field fence at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.

It was eerily reminiscent of Soto's blast onto the train tracks at Minute Maid Park last October, albeit with the stakes far reduced this time.

"I think that's a good sign for me," Soto said.

You think? Not that the young star needs reminders of his potential for greatness, but he keeps providing them. His two-run homer in the top of the third Tuesday was followed one inning later by a well executed RBI line drive single to left off a high-and-outside fastball from Alex Reyes.

Again, it was a picture perfect example of Soto's propensity to drive the ball to the opposite field with authority. And it's all by design.

"Keep it tight, keep it right," Soto said, explaining the mindset his hitting coach has tried to instill in him. "That's the whole thing we're always talking about with Kevin Long and all these guys. Just trying to keep it tight and try to drive the ball to the middle, to the other way. Then we get in later in the spring, we get inside and try to pull it. But right now, just be to the middle."

Through the first two seasons of his big league career, Soto has already proven himself to be one of the best opposite-field hitters in the sport. A full 194 of his 274 career hits have been hit to either center or left field, good enough for a stunning .402 batting average. (He hits a mere .335 when pulling the ball to right field.)

It all comes naturally to him, but he's never content to rest on his laurels. No matter how impressive the numbers get, no matter how many jaws he makes drop, Soto remains committed to finding ways to improve his game.

"You got to keep going," he said. "It's just the beginning. We just started right now. Everything I do, I feel proud of this. But I think I can get more, and I want more."