"If he's 19, he certainly has his man growth" - When Juan Soto was accused of lying about his age by Braves broadcaster Joe Simpson
While star outfielder Juan Soto has completed his move to the New York Yankees with a one-year, $31 million contract over the winter, he has been making headlines for several years now. One of the first headlines of his career came in his rookie season with the Washington Nationals when he was accused of lying about his age by Atlanta Braves broadcaster Joe Simpson.
Juan Soto was signed by the Washington Nationals as an international free agent in 2015 and broke into the roster in 2018, becoming the youngest player in the major leagues at 19 years old. However, his powerful performances in the field led the Braves broadcaster to wonder aloud if Soto was lying about his age during the first game of their doubleheader.
"If he's 19, he certainly has his man growth. He is big and strong," Simpson said.
Nationals GM Mike Rizzo went on to have a private conversation with Simpson. The announcer then backtracked on his comments during the second game.
“Well, he is. He’s bonafide 19. And he is a full-grown man. He is strong. And he is one heck of a player," he said.
Soto subsequently received a public show of support from everyone in the baseball community and finished second in the NL Rookie of the Year voting behind Ronald Acuna Jr.
Age fraud remains a problem in the Dominican Republic despite Juan Soto's innocence
While it has been proven beyond doubt that Juan Soto is not guilty of age fraud and was actually 19 years old in his rookie season, the problem persists in the Dominican Republic today. The MLB takes the issue very seriously, but the issue is reportedly once again on the rise.
The minimum age when it comes to signing players for MLB teams is 16 years. This has led to several younger players claiming that they are 16 to get a contract.
The Houston Astros were the latest team to suffer for this reason. They lost three international prospects this month as a result of the league doubting the authenticity of the players' ages.