Who is Juan Soto?
Juan Soto is a Dominican professional baseball outfielder who currently plays for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Washington Nationals, where he won the World Series in 2019 and the National League batting title in 2020. He is a three-time All-Star and a three-time Silver Slugger Award winner
Soto was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, to Juan Soto, Sr. and Belkis Pacheco. He has an older sister and a younger brother, Elian, who also signed with the Nationals as an international free agent in 2023. His father, a salesman and a former catcher in a local men’s league, introduced him to baseball when he was just six months old. Soto grew up idolizing David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez, two of the most successful Dominican hitters in MLB history
Soto signed with the Nationals as an international free agent in 2015 for $1.5 million, a franchise record on the international market. He made his professional debut in 2016 with the Gulf Coast League Nationals and was named the league’s most valuable player. He quickly rose through the minor league ranks, despite suffering some injuries, and made his MLB debut in 2018 at the age of 19. He finished second in the NL Rookie of the Year voting after hitting .292 with 22 home runs and 70 RBIs in 116 games
In 2019, Soto had a breakout season, hitting .282 with 34 home runs and 110 RBIs in 150 games. He also played a key role in the Nationals’ postseason run, hitting clutch home runs against the Dodgers, Cardinals and Astros. He earned the Babe Ruth Award as the most valuable player of the World Series, which the Nationals won in seven games over the Astros
In 2020, Soto led the NL with a .351 batting average, a .490 on-base percentage and a .695 slugging percentage in 47 games. He also hit 13 home runs and drove in 37 runs. He won his first Silver Slugger Award and was named to the All-MLB First Team1
In 2021, Soto had another stellar season, hitting .300 with 38 home runs and 105 RBIs in 154 games. He also led the NL with 145 walks and a .465 on-base percentage. He won his second Silver Slugger Award and was named to the All-MLB First Team for the second consecutive year. He also made his first All-Star appearance and participated in the Home Run Derby
In 2022, Soto was traded to the Padres along with pitcher Joe Ross for outfielder Wil Myers, pitcher MacKenzie Gore and two prospects. He continued his dominance at the plate, hitting .305 with 39 home runs and 120 RBIs in 158 games. He also led the NL with 136 walks and a .459 on-base percentage. He won his third Silver Slugger Award and was named to the All-MLB First Team for the third straight year. He also made his second All-Star appearance and won the Home Run Derby
In 2023, Soto is having another MVP-caliber season, hitting .312 with 25 home runs and 75 RBIs in 103 games as of August 3rd. He is leading the NL with 101 walks and a .467 on-base percentage. He is also among the league leaders in batting average, slugging percentage, runs scored, hits, doubles, home runs and RBIs. He made his third All-Star appearance and participated in the Home Run Derby for the third time
Who is Mario Soto?
Mario Soto is a former Dominican professional baseball pitcher who played for the Cincinnati Reds from 1977 to 1988. He was one of the most dominant pitchers of his era, leading the NL in strikeouts twice and finishing in the top five of the Cy Young Award voting three times. He is a member of the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and one of only four pitchers to strike out Pete Rose three times in one game
Soto was born in Bani, Dominican Republic, where he learned to play baseball on local sandlots. He idolized Juan Marichal, the country’s most accomplished pitcher in MLB history. He signed with the Reds as an amateur free agent in 1973 at the age of 16. He made his professional debut in 1974 with the Gulf Coast League Reds and quickly advanced through the minor league system. He made his MLB debut in 1977 at the age of 20
Soto became a full-time starter for the Reds in 1980, posting a 10-8 record with a 3.07 ERA and 133 strikeouts in 156 innings. He improved his numbers in 1981, going 12-9 with a 2.79 ERA and 198 strikeouts in 190 innings. He also threw a one-hitter against the Braves on July 17th. He made his first All-Star appearance and finished fifth in the Cy Young Award voting
In 1982, Soto had his best season, leading the NL with 274 strikeouts and five shutouts. He also went 14-13 with a 2.79 ERA and threw a no-hitter against the Cardinals on April 27th. He made his second All-Star appearance and finished second in the Cy Young Award voting behind Steve Carlton
In 1983, Soto had another strong season, going 17-13 with a 2.70 ERA and 242 strikeouts in 257 innings. He also threw a one-hitter against the Cubs on June 16th. He made his third All-Star appearance and finished third in the Cy Young Award voting behind John Denny and Mario Andretti
In 1984, Soto had his last great season, going 18-7 with a 3.53 ERA and 185 strikeouts in 235 innings. He also threw a one-hitter against the Astros on May 12th. He made his fourth All-Star appearance and finished fourth in the Cy Young Award voting behind Rick Sutcliffe, Dwight Gooden and Joaquin Andujar
In 1985, Soto began to decline due to injuries and inconsistency. He went 12-15 with a 4.74 ERA and 137 strikeouts in 204 innings. He also led the NL with 15 wild pitches and had several on-field altercations with opposing players and umpires. He was suspended for five games for throwing at George Hendrick’s head on May 27th and for three games for bumping umpire Dave Pallone on July 22nd
In 1986, Soto missed most of the season due to shoulder problems. He went 4-5 with a 5.72 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 72 innings. He also led the NL with nine hit batters and was involved in another brawl with the Mets on July 22nd, resulting in a five-game suspension for him and a three-game suspension for manager Pete Rose
In 1987, Soto returned to form briefly, going 7-4 with a 3.59 ERA and 83 strikeouts in 113 innings before suffering another shoulder injury that ended his season in July. He also threw a one-hitter against the Pirates on June 16th, his last complete game in MLB
In 1988, Soto attempted a comeback but was ineffective, going 0-2 with a 6.75 ERA and six strikeouts in nine innings over four games. He retired at the end of the season at the age of 31
Soto finished his career with a record of 114-110, a 3.47 ERA and 1,449 strikeouts in 1,730 innings over 12 seasons, all with the Reds. He ranks among the franchise leaders in wins (10th), strikeouts (4th), shutouts (6th), complete games (9th) and innings pitched (9th). He is also one of only six pitchers to strike out more than 200 batters in four consecutive seasons, joining Sandy Koufax, Nolan Ryan, Tom Seaver, Roger Clemens and Randy Johnson.
Are Juan Soto and Mario Soto Related?
The short answer is no.
Juan Soto and Mario Soto are not related by blood or by marriage.
They share a common surname, which is very common in Hispanic cultures, but they have no familial connection.
They are both from the Dominican Republic, but they come from different regions of the country.
Juan Soto is from Santo Domingo, the capital city located on the south coast of the island.
Mario Soto is from Bani, a town located on the southwest coast of the island.
They are both baseball players, but they play different positions.
Juan Soto is an outfielder who excels at hitting for average and power.
Mario Soto was a pitcher who excelled at striking out batters and throwing fastballs.
They are both stars in their respective eras, but they have different career trajectories.
Juan Soto is still active and playing at an elite level at
