Padres Expert Pleads Fans to Not Forget Juan Soto's Preternatural Talent

He's had far more successful years than most.

The Juan Soto fan club appears to be losing out on bulk members every single day. It's just the first month of the MLB season wrapping up but fans of the San Diego Padres are not known to be the most patient, especially with the money being given to their stars, and Soto is among those not producing.

It really looked like he was set to have a hot start to the 2023 season. In four games with the Dominican Republic at the WBC, Soto slashed .400/.500/1.00 and drove in two big home runs. DR's squad disappointed and didn't even make it out of their pool but Soto certainly took care of business.

He had a couple of nagging injuries in the offseason but, for the most part, he was able to get more acclimated to the Padres' system and prepare for a season with a new Friars roster that was being hit with nothing but championship expectations.

Just wanted to post this video of Juan Soto working at hitting it the other way for anyone who thinks he doesn’t care

(Via @MLBNetwork) pic.twitter.com/2jd5QLRnXu

— Talking Friars (@TalkingFriars) April 28, 2023

I know that it is super easy to focus on the negative when it comes to the Padres' star outfielder but we also cannot just forget about what he accomplished before he touched down in Gaslamp.

There was a reason why San Diego parted ways with so many young, talented players so the could acquire Soto. This was an arguing point for some experts at The Athletic when it comes to his current play.

"Probably fine. Probably fine! He’s still just 24, which is

the same age as over a tenth of the prospects on Keith Law’s top-100 list

. It takes a preternatural talent to arrive in the majors as a teenager and post

five

straight seasons with an OBP over .400 like Soto did. Nobody does that."

"Soto is a certified freak of the sport, and we shouldn’t let his 331 plate appearances with the Padres overshadow the 2,439 plate appearances that came before them."

(Via The Athletic)

However, he doesn't have all the time in the world. The Padres are not winning a lot of games right now and should his plate struggles continue, that trade deadline will look really tempting.