Juan Soto's slump draws prayers from youths in DR: "Lmfao stinking it up so bad you got the youth wasting their prayers"
When Dominican stud Juan Soto burst into the league in 2018, it did not take long for the baseball establishment to recognize him as a generational talent.
Fan expectations were high for Soto as he entered his first full season as a member of the San Diego Padres in 2023. The 24-year-old came to the team at the August trade deadline and helped his team get all the way to the 2022 NLCS.
However, after starting the season hitting .214 with 32 strikeouts in 30 games, fans are still waiting for a glimpse of the Soto that they saw in 2022.
A recent video has emerged of a youth team in Soto's home country praying in unison for the struggling outfielder. Their words apparently lauded praise on Soto, and featured calls to protect Soto from injury and help him escape his slump.
A Dominican youth baseball team prayed for Juan Soto and his teammates to be protected from injury and to break out of their slump
(h/t @hgomez27) https://t.co/1iHZDupeW2
"A Dominican youth baseball team prayed for Juan Soto and his teammates to be protected from injury and to break out of their slump" - Talkin' Baseball
San Diego Padres fans, frustrated by their team's sluggish 16-14 start, largely feel that the prayers are warranted.
@TalkinBaseball_ @DevineGospel @hgomez27 Love this. Baseball…it’s such a great sport when things like this happen.
@TalkinBaseball_ @hgomez27 Bless you children. 🙏
However, some fans couldn't help but make fun of the whole situation.
Lmfao stinking it up so bad you got the youth wasting their prayers @mondaze7 twitter.com/talkinbaseball…
@TalkinBaseball_ @hgomez27 They need to pray for him to start hitting the ball.
@TalkinBaseball_ @hgomez27 Lend Juan your energy 🤣 https://t.co/Bsm7i0W0qg
@TalkinBaseball_ @hgomez27 Somebody did the opposite to the Yankees
As an 19-year-old in 2018, Soto hit .292/.406/.517 with 22 home runs and 70 RBIs, finishing second in Rookie of the Year Award voting. The following season, Soto's three home runs and seven RBIs in seven playoff games were instrumental in lifting his team, the Washington Nationals, to the franchise's first-ever World Series.
@TalkinBaseball_ @hgomez27 https://t.co/PbqR9OfPKx
@TalkinBaseball_ @hgomez27 Can they also pray for starling marte to be good again?
After reportedly rejecting a mammoth 15-year extension worth some $440 million with the Nationals in 2022, it was not long before Soto found himself on the trading block.
A resurgent Juan Soto is exactly what the Padres need
Apart from former Boston Red Sox star Xander Bogaerts, who inked a long-term deal with the Padres this past offseason, the team's bats are really struggling. 2022 MVP runner-up Manny Machado has hit just .237, while the team overall has an average of .235, placing them 22nd out of 30 MLB teams.
While the video may be endearing for many, fans of Juan Soto and the Padres should be listening. Hopefully, for Padres fans, the prayers are answered