San Diego Padres Nelson Cruz on Juan Soto: "He's just a professional... He reminds me a lot of Adrian Beltre"
Veteran Nelson Cruz provided some insight into the world of All-Star outfielder Juan Soto.
When Cruz speaks, people usually listen as the 42-year-old has seen it all. Cruz has had an illustrious 18-year career in the big leagues. He is a seven-time All-Star who has won four Silver Slugger Awards and a Roberto Clemente Award.
Cruz recently signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the San Diego Padres. The team is littered with talent but Cruz has been particularly impressed by Soto. The Dominican slugger is one of the league's rising stars and Cruz sees something special in his compatriot:
"He's just a professional... He reminds me a lot of Adrian Beltre."
Cruz was speaking with the media during the Padres' spring training camp. He went on to say Soto is a man of few words and described him as "very quiet." He also compared Soto to the great Adrian Beltre, who is regarded as one of the greatest third basemen to ever play the game.
Nelson Cruz discusses what stands out to him about Juan Soto, and compares him to a former teammate: "He reminds me a lot of Adrian Beltre." https://t.co/gAxQakDpQy
"Nelson Cruz discusses what stands out to him about Juan Soto, and compares him to a former teammate: 'He reminds me a lot of Adrian Beltre.'" - 97.3 The Fan
At 24 years old, Soto has plenty of room to grow. If he continues to develop as he has, Soto could be on par with the league's star players like Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge.
The highly-coveted outfielder was one of the league's most sought after players during the 2022 trade deadline. Soto left the Washington Nationals in controversial circumstances after rejecting a 15-year, $440 million contract. He eventually ended up with the San Diego Padres.
Juan Soto has developed into one of the league's elite hitters since making his debut in 2018
Juan Soto is about to enter his sixth season in the majors and already has an impressive resume. The left-handed slugger is a two-time All-Star and a three-time Silver Slugger Award winner.
Soto was also an integral part of the Washington Nationals team that won the World Series in 2019.
Juan Soto monster three-run shot! https://t.co/TMyf9QtKCW
"Juan Soto monster three-run shot!" - Talkin' Baseball
In 2020, Soto won the National League batting title after finishing the season with a phenomenal .351 batting average over 154 at-bats.
Overall, Soto has amassed 125 home runs and 374 RBIs over 617 major league games. He has a career slash line of .287/.424/.526 with an OPS of .950.
Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado will join Soto in one of the most potent offenses in MLB. If Soto can perform at the level he has previously with the Nationals, the Padres will be legitimate title contenders.