New York Yankees Star Reflects on Tumultuous Washington Nationals Tenure

Before joining the New York Yankees, Juan Soto had a rollercoaster stint with the Washington Nationals.

Aug 26, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Juan Soto salutes the Washington Nationals bench. / Rafael Suanes-USA TODAY Sports

This week has been a homecoming of sorts for New York Yankees star Juan Soto.

The Yankees spent the last few days visiting Soto's old team, the Washington Nationals. Soto signed with the organization out of the Dominican Republic when he was just 16, then made his MLB debut with the Nationals three years later in 2018.

Soto spent the first four and a half years of his career with Washington, experiencing remarkable highs and incredible lows. The Nationals were a juggernaut when he arrived and won the World Series in his second season, beating the Houston Astros in the 2019 Fall Classic for their first championship in franchise history.

Despite Soto's individual success, including three top-10 NL MVP finishes from 2019 to 2021, Washington quickly fell apart after popping the champagne. The Nationals finished last in the NL East every year from 2020 to 2023, blowing up its title-winning roster in the process.

That included Soto, who was sent to the San Diego Padres in a stunning blockbuster at the 2022 MLB Trade Deadlne, ending his brief but stellar time in Washington. After the 2023 season, he was involved in another huge trade when the Padres sent him packing to New York.

Soto is still remembered fondly in D.C. During his first at-bat in Monday's series opener, he received a standing ovation from the crowd at Nationals Park and saluted the fans in return.

Prior to the game, the 25-year-old outfielder reflected on his eventful time in Washington.

Juan Soto reflected on his time with Nationals earlier today with @M_Marakovits. pic.twitter.com/RBjoHGFsZZ

— YES Network (@YESNetwork) August 26, 2024

"It's been great. A lot of memories, a lot of things that happened here before," he told YES reporter Meredith Marakovits. "It's always good to see a couple friends back."

While many of Soto's former teammates are no longer with the Nationals, he said he was excited to see Patrick Corbin and Ryan Zimmerman, the latter of whom now works as a coach.

A lot has changed for Soto and his old team over the last few years, but one thing has stayed the same: Soto's still one of the best hitters on the planet.