For all the head-turning moments Juan Soto produced in his first three seasons, it’s no surprise his first Major League home run was worth a double take, too.
The story of Soto’s time travel began on May 15, 2018. That day, he was playing in a Double-A game for the Harrisburg Senators while the Nationals were hosting the Yankees. The game at Nats Park got suspended because of weather and was then scheduled to resume on June 18. A lot would change before then.
Soto made his big league debut five days later on May 20 against the Dodgers. He homered the following game against the Padres, but in a twist, the 422-foot, three-run shot off left-hander Robbie Erlin would eventually count as his second home run.
Here’s why.
When Washington resumed its matchup against New York, Soto was eligible to play even though he was in the Minors at the time of the original game. In the sixth inning, he sent a 96.8 mph fastball from righty Chad Green into the right-field concourse at 111.8 mph to drive in Anthony Rendon and break a 3-3 tie. The home run was attributed to the May 15 game, which Soto helped the Nats win, 5-3.
And so began the lore of Soto’s home run mashing with the Nationals. In his four-plus seasons in Washington, he crushed 119 homers in 565 games.