**The Perennial JUAN SOTO Thread!**

[NYRE2PECT]

Originally Posted by djdevon

You guys ready to admit it yet? JUAN MAAS!

Juan No Maas.


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[pspa123]

Originally Posted by JRX

What player looks good in a montage of all their strikeouts?

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What's going on here technically? Have they found a hole in his swing to exploit? Has he become too impatient? Usually when someone this obviously talented starts to go south there is an identifiable reason.

[DeegsHobby]

When are we going to get a bump because of a highlight?

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[CxL]

Originally Posted by DeegsHobby

When are we going to get a bump because of a highlight?

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His next walk.

[NoWhammys2021]

Originally Posted by pspa123

What's going on here technically? Have they found a hole in his swing to exploit? Has he become too impatient? Usually when someone this obviously talented starts to go south there is an identifiable reason.

He needs to get his eyes checked, find a hitting coach, and stop sucking on Felipe’s chin….a few people know exactly how and why this is happening to him. It all started when I told him to buy his Daddy a new “better” phone on IG. I put the white man from town curse on him after he made a huge mistake / life choice…I tried to take it off but I’m not sure you can.



https://youtu.be/ALO5aag-ZIo


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[NYRE2PECT]

Originally Posted by pspa123

What's going on here technically? Have they found a hole in his swing to exploit? Has he become too impatient? Usually when someone this obviously talented starts to go south there is an identifiable reason.

Bats, they are sick. I cannot hit curveball. Straight ball I hit very far. Curveball, bats are afraid. -Jobu

[Merkle14]

Originally Posted by NYRE2PECT

Bats, they are sick. I cannot hit curveball. Straight ball I hit very far. Curveball, bats are afraid. -Jobu

Yeah I would love to see the stats from 2018 - 2020 of HRs of the fastball compared to off speed then compare that to rest of league. He's always been a fastball hunter and when you walk a lot a get in good counts, good things come your way. Modern pitching is much more open to throwing off speed down in 3-1 & 3-2 counts, which does not bode well for Juan.

[HRderby22]

I was at Wrigley Wed and yesterday and I hate to say it, but it looks even worse in person.

I'll leave the mechanics of the swing to the Padres staff, other than to say, when he does actually swing it looks like he's trying to hit the ball into the 1st base dugout.

I was struck by all of the idiosyncrasies and nuances he still has and his non-stop talking and distraction at the plate and on the bases. Maybe it just stands out more when he's hitting .180, but if he were a high school player I'd advise him to spend more time focusing on hitting and less time talking to the catcher and umpire after every damn pitch.

It's literally beginning to look like he's up there to have a ball / strike contest and a cup of coffee with the catcher and umpire.

C'mon Juan - swing the bat and hit the ball. Take 'em to dinner if you need to socialize.

[Bambino22]

What's the matter Mr. Soto? You can tell us. What are you running from.

[SupermanBrandon]

I truly think 90% of his issues are mental. He believed his own press. He just took it to an entirely different level. I think he thought he thought his eye, approach and hitting were better than anyone in the past 50 years. When he was helping dictate balls and strikes for umps, his ego at the plate was thru the roof. Just look at the swagger at the plate back then. Now look at it. He's confused that guys aren't bowing down and are now attacking him. Now he's forcing it. Now he's trying to be someone he isn't. He's confused as crap now. Nobody's tripping over themselves calling him Teddy Ballgame.

[speedyjg13]

Originally Posted by SupermanBrandon

I truly think 90% of his issues are mental. He believed his own press. He just took it to an entirely different level. I think he thought he thought his eye, approach and hitting were better than anyone in the past 50 years. When he was helping dictate balls and strikes for umps, his ego at the plate was thru the roof. Just look at the swagger at the plate back then. Now look at it. He's confused that guys aren't bowing down and are now attacking him. Now he's forcing it. Now he's trying to be someone he isn't. He's confused as crap now. Nobody's tripping over themselves calling him Teddy Ballgame.

He's starting to show the mentality of Jo Adell

[Vdm2018]

Today, he will start a hitting streak!

[LVDan]

The longer this streak continues the more it's setting up to be a Kelenic type redemption story- as least in the baseball (non card) world.
Not seeing his nicer cards adjust WAY down as the hobby market and economy overall have sagged is surprising to me.
I hope he rebounds soon.
If he doesn't the BIG dump is impending.
I don't believe with switching teams and falling off a cliff his "collector" base is strong enough to prop up prices much longer tbh

[johnlocke36]

Originally Posted by NYRE2PECT

Bats, they are sick. I cannot hit curveball. Straight ball I hit very far. Curveball, bats are afraid. -Jobu

He’s hitting like .110 vs sliders and .120 vs curveballs.
It’s entirely possible that pitchers now from even 5 years ago are that much better with their offspeed stuff with regards to velocity/spin rates/location and more importantly tunnelling and throwing it in any count and he’s just not good enough to hit them. Theres no shame in that, pitchers are really really good. But at this point you need to consider the narrative that 2019 was the fluke year and not 2022 onwards

[lauriontj]

I brought this up yesterday in a group chat:

Do you think it’s a Soto thing (Clearly the answer is yes) or a Padres thing on the whole? The whole team sucks. Just look at the batting avg.’s of the entire team. Absolutely horrendous. Are they not giving these guys what they need? I would love to see Soto hire his own batting coach to get him back on track. I also agree with others that this is probably mental.

[HRderby22]

Originally Posted by SupermanBrandon

I truly think 90% of his issues are mental. He believed his own press. He just took it to an entirely different level. I think he thought he thought his eye, approach and hitting were better than anyone in the past 50 years. When he was helping dictate balls and strikes for umps, his ego at the plate was thru the roof. Just look at the swagger at the plate back then. Now look at it. He's confused that guys aren't bowing down and are now attacking him. Now he's forcing it. Now he's trying to be someone he isn't. He's confused as crap now. Nobody's tripping over themselves calling him Teddy Ballgame.

I agree. Adding to what I said this morning, he comes out for his first AB both games and taps the ump and catcher with the bat handle. Neither seemed to be the slightest bit amused - if not fully annoyed. My seat was 8 rows from home plate.

The few times he was on base he was talking non-stop to the Cubs players. Nico at one point seemed to fully ignore him and just shrug his shoulders.

I remember Sosa doing that stuff, as have some others, but that act gets tired real quick when you've become a .200 hitter in your last 200 games.

And I say this as a big Soto fan and collector. It's strange.

[HRderby22]

Originally Posted by LVDan

The longer this streak continues the more it's setting up to be a Kelenic type redemption story- as least in the baseball (non card) world.
Not seeing his nicer cards adjust WAY down as the hobby market and economy overall have sagged is surprising to me.
I hope he rebounds soon.
If he doesn't the BIG dump is impending.
I don't believe with switching teams and falling off a cliff his "collector" base is strong enough to prop up prices much longer tbh

I keep trying to snag some rookie autos on the cheap and they just seem to be holding their ground for the most part.

[towerymt]

Originally Posted by HRderby22

I keep trying to snag some rookie autos on the cheap and they just seem to be holding their ground for the most part.

Which ones?


I watched an '18 BB auto, PSA-10, auction for $550 4 days ago. It was $7-800 in January. Last July, $1200-1300. Citing auctions only for the base Bowman's Best auto in PSA-10.

The TCU auto may not have dropped nearly as much. Not as much sales data. PSA-10 just auctioned for $3450 in the past week. Auction last October, $3500. $4750 in May 2021.

[LVDan]

Originally Posted by HRderby22

I keep trying to snag some rookie autos on the cheap and they just seem to be holding their ground for the most part.

Originally Posted by towerymt

Which ones?


I watched an '18 BB auto, PSA-10, auction for $550 4 days ago. It was $7-800 in January. Last July, $1200-1300. Citing auctions only for the base Bowman's Best auto in PSA-10.

The TCU auto may not have dropped nearly as much. Not as much sales data. PSA-10 just auctioned for $3450 in the past week. Auction last October, $3500. $4750 in May 2021.

I can only assume that these cards are being bought by folks with already significant Soto stashes. Whether its the ol "dollar cost averaging down" line or trying to keep things propped up waiting for a return to form is immaterial.
Either way if he doesn't swiftly improve in dramatic fashion they will quit soon enough I'd bet.

[LVDan]

If I were looking to buy Soto to collect- purchase at whatever level you feel comfortable paying.
If I were looking to buy Soto to sell at a profit his premium cards have a long way to fall before Id be interested.

[Easycards]

I think he’s pressing at the plate, having trouble adjusting to the “new normal” with the timer, and having a slump on those pitches he is seeing well enough. It’s just the perfect storm of things not going right to an extreme extent. I think he’ll come out of it, but what type of hitter to expect him to be on the other side of these issues I don’t exactly know. Deep slumps like this can have a lasting impact sometimes. I’m rooting for him though.

[BC Hunt]

[LVDan]

Originally Posted by BC Hunt

Did they trade him for Nettles??

[Snakeonia]

Originally Posted by BC Hunt

Lol. BUY!!


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[Rabs]

All Soto needs is a little Mexico in his life.