the.com/soto
the shrug that made shortstops rich: swing at everything, walk when you feel like it, mash anyway.
means a surname turned baseball shorthand for the modern superstar approach that ignores old-school plate discipline and just produces runs.
from from the last name Soto, most famously juan soto, whose absurdly patient yet violent left-handed swing and the theatrical 'soto shuffle' before every pitch made his name a stand-in for elite, idiosyncratic hitting.
the shufflea pre-pitch wiggle that unnerves pitchers on purpose
contract sizesigned a $765 million deal in 2024
plate disciplinewalks more than almost anyone his age ever has
for instance
juan soto — nationals, padres, yankees, mets outfielder, ropes of walks since 2018
the soto shuffle — his signature bat-wiggle stance, now copied by little leaguers everywhere
soto trade 2022 — padres gave up six players to get him from washington