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If there is one thing that San Diego Padres fans can be excited about, it's the way Juan Soto has been surging at the plate. After a slow start to the season, the slugger has turned it around offensively.
Soto leads the league among qualified players with his 210 wRC+ and 1.146 OPS. He's crushing anything thrown in the zone and avoiding pitches that aren't. Soto also leads the league in walks with an impressive 52.
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During May, Soto hit .345/.495/.655 with five home runs, five stolen bases, 15 RBIs and 25 walks in 25 games. The baseball looked like a beachball to Soto last month, and the numbers show it.
This is the perfect time for Soto to get hot. The Padres will need him at his best if they hope to turn things around. Soto is also in the final year of his contract. A surging season at the plate could bring in a big contract for the slugger.
"But I was told he was washed," one fan tweeted.
"Soto haters hiding," another fan tweeted.
San Diego Padres fans are overjoyed that Juan Soto has returned to form. His hot streak may inspire some other players to get involved and help this team.
With Juan Soto finding his groove, expect him to keep his foot on the gas pedal for the rest of the season. He's the type of player who, once they get hot, there is no stopping them.
Juan Soto needs some help turning this San Diego Padres season around
The San Diego Padres are one of the most disappointing teams in baseball this year. They started the season completely flat and have already dug a deep hole in the division.
San Diego has compiled a 26-30 record, just two games out of last place in the division. They're 7.5 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks, who lead the division.
Hitting has been a huge problem for this team so far. They hold a .220 team batting average, ranking them among the worst in the league. Only the Oakland Athletics have a worse team batting average (.219).
This is puzzling as the lineup is stacked with feared hitters like Fernando Tatis Jr., Xander Bogaerts, Matt Carpenter and Nelson Cruz. They must turn it around at the plate before it's too late.
