Juan Soto

Heading into the season, Juan Soto is the leading candidate for Comeback Player of the Year, which feels ridiculous to say about a guy who still ended with a WAR of 5.2. The first half of 2022 found him in a terrible lineup, so opposing pitchers walked him 95 times in 436 plate appearances. Reports also surfaced that he had turned down a 15-year, $440 million offer from Washington, and soon, the HR Derby winner headed to San Diego with expectations as big as the contract he turned down. He struggled with the Padres, slashing .236/.388/.390 with only six homers and 16 RBI in 52 games, but he also took a trip to the NLCS. Fantasy managers can expect a course correction in 2023, somewhere in the vicinity of 30+ HR, 110+ RBI, and an elite .400+ OBP. With the addition of Xander Bogaerts, the return of Fernando Tatis, Jr., and the presence of Manny Machado, this is a real-life team you want multiple pieces of in fantasy. Soto is worth every penny of a top draft pick.

Juan Soto goes yard in Padres win Saturday

Padres OF Juan Soto finished 1-for-4 with a solo home run in San DIego's 5-2 win over the White Sox Saturday.

Fantasy Impact

Soto took White Sox starter Dylan Cease in the first inning to get things started for the Padres. It was his 27th home run of the season. Despite hitting just .243 this season, Soto has provided a ton of value for those in leagues using OBP as his sits at .403, among the best in baseball. Depending on your league settings, Soto was a bit overvalued this season though.