Rob Maaddi, FISM News
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Juan Soto went down to a knee following a mighty swing that drove another ball out of the park, flipped his pink-and-blue bat way up in the air, and began celebrating with several fellow National League All-Stars after winning the Home Run Derby.
The 23-year-old superstar shrugged off speculation about his future with the Washington Nationals and did what he does best on Monday night at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Soto beat Seattle Mariners rookie Julio Rodríguez 19-18 in the final round to capture his first Derby title.
He became the second youngest player ever to win the Derby – Juan Gonzalez was one day younger when he won in 1993 – and the first Nationals player to win the event since Bryce Harper in 2018. Soto is the first Dominican-born champion since Robinson Cano in 2011 and sixth overall.
“It feels amazing. It feels tiring,” Soto told reporters. “I just tried to concentrate to square off the balls, because I know I have the power.”
Soto defeated Cleveland’s José Ramírez 18-17 in the first round and edged 42-year-old Albert Pujols 16-15 to reach the finals.
Rodríguez, the Seattle Mariners’ 21-year-old star outfielder had an impressive debut on one of baseball’s biggest stages. He slammed 32 homers in the first round and beat two-time defending Derby champion Pete Alonso of the New York Mets 31-23 in the second round. Only four players hit 30 homers in a single Derby round before Rodriguez did it twice, finishing the night with a total of 81 long balls.
“Being able to perform on this stage, it was pretty fun,” Rodríguez said after his big night. “I feel like maybe a few people didn’t think that I really was that kind of power hitter. But I feel that was something I also had in my bag.”
Soto is known for his power, and he smoked one prodigious blast after another to walk off as the winner. Competing against Pujols made the night even more special for Soto. The two Dominican sluggers met at home plate after facing off in the semifinal and shared a long exchange.
“He was one of the first Dominicans to put our country on the map,” Soto said. “I feel really proud to continue the next generation after he carried it for more than 20 years. [Winning the Derby] is something special, but it means more because I did it for the Dominican Republic. The people there are always supporting me, and they’ve been there every step. I know all their prayers are heard and today I heard them more than ever.”
Soto is facing uncertainty in Washington. He recently turned down a contract extension reportedly worth $440 million over 15 years, which would have been the richest contract in major league baseball history. As a result, the Nationals are expected to look to trade Soto before MLB’s trade deadline on Aug. 2.
“I don’t know, I haven’t talked to anybody to tell me how that changed or what was the mindset but … a couple weeks ago they were saying they would never trade me and now, all these things have come out,” Soto said. “It feels really uncomfortable. You don’t know what to trust. But at the end of the day, it’s out of my hands of what decision they make.”
Hoisting the Derby trophy over his head, Soto added: “Right now, I’m not even thinking about it. I’m a champion, and I will be a champion for the Nationals.”
Soto will have plenty of suitors if the Nationals indeed make him available. He helped the team win the World Series in 2019 after Harper left in free agency. But the Nationals have struggled since. Anthony Rendon left via free agency later that offseason and Max Scherzer and Trea Turner were traded last summer.
“Pretty frustrating,” Soto said. “I try to keep my stuff private and not try to throw stuff out there. It feels really bad. But at the end of the day, we just have to keep playing. It doesn’t matter what’s happening.”