WASHINGTON, D.C. — Standing on a wiffleball-sized field with a foam dodgeball in his hand, Juan Soto fired a pitch that didn’t come close to the plate during the Nationals’ Winterfest in January 2020.
A teenage hitter, holding a large, plastic bat and wearing Soto’s No. 22 jersey, responded to the ball with the superstar’s signature shuffle, a move the ex-Nat loves to show off when opponents can’t find the zone.
Soto playfully took exception to the equally lighthearted mockery, softly aiming a few pitches at the youngster’s feet and head before inducing a big whiff on a high fastball.
“That’s his little brother, right?” a fan asked prior to the four-pitch sequence.
In case there was any doubt, Elian Soto lined the next pitch over the left field fence. While hardly the distance of a real home run, the inside-out, opposite field shot shared some resemblances to a left-handed swing that big league pitchers have come to fear.
Juan, meanwhile, could only smile at his sibling getting the best of him on his home turf.
World Series champion Juan Soto took the mound to face his little brother Elian.
Not only did Elian do the Soto Shuffle…
…LITTLE BRO WENT DEEP.@NatsAcademy // #Winterfest pic.twitter.com/EC0yOuRJIM
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) January 11, 2020
These days, Juan is a Yankee, and he will return to D.C. with the club on Monday. Meanwhile, Elian wears his own Nationals jersey now, as the 18-year-old signed with Washington as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic three years after that Winterfest home run.
A first baseman and corner outfielder, Elian’s season with the Nationals’ Florida Complex League wrapped up a month ago. He spent the 2023 campaign in the Dominican Summer League.
“He knows the strike zone really well. He’s got a great swing,” Juan told the Daily News. “Really smart guy on the field. He knows how to play the game.”
Knowing the strike zone runs in the family, as Juan is considered one of the best eyes in baseball. But when asked where Elian gets that skill from, a laughing Juan passed on taking credit.
“He’s been working a lot,” he said. “He’s been working on his swing and tries to swing at strikes. So I think that’s where he got it from.”
Of course, having a big brother like Juan helps.
The two live together in the D.R. during the offseason, and they spend a lot of time eating, hitting and training together during those months. That gives Elian frequent opportunities to pick Juan’s brain.
Elian did a lot of that when it came to choosing a team to sign with. Juan, 25, spent the first 6.5 years of his professional career in the Nationals’ organization, so he had plenty of positive insight to share even though Washington had traded him to San Diego before Elian inked his first contract.
Elian initially seemed intent on signing with the Mets — a team that will likely compete for Juan’s services in free agency this offseason — but he ultimately took a $225,000 signing bonus and a $200,000 scholarship grant from the Nationals.
“It was the best bet at the end of the day,” Juan said. “We had the Mets right there. The Mets were pushing big time for him. They wanted him. But the Nationals came over and signed him. I’m really excited to have him there, as I know the organization and everything. I was able to help him out throughout the system to show him how things run down there.”
Soto lamented the fact that he and Elian weren’t able to spend time in the same organization, but he’s glad to see his brother doing his own thing.
While the two share a last name, the ability to play the outfield, a portside swing and beginnings in the Nationals’ system, Elian lacks the prospect pedigree that Juan had.
Elian is not ranked among the Nationals’ top 30 farmhands, per MLB.com, and his first two minor league seasons have been a struggle. In 76 games, he is hitting just .178/.319/.230.
Juan said that the two will focus on increasing Elian’s power this winter, as the younger brother hasn’t hit his first professional home run yet. Juan, meanwhile, set a new career-high this season.
With some more mentoring and experience, Juan hopes to see Elian’s numbers improve.
“I always talk to him,” Juan said. “At the end of the day, the biggest thing is that he learns the little things of the game. You know, the ability of hitting homers, hitting for .300 and all that stuff is going to come. Just learn how to play the game the right way. Learn the situations and try to control it. That’s what I’ve mostly told him in his short career.”
While Juan would welcome the opportunity to one day play on the same team as his brother, it’s not necessarily a goal. He’s just rooting for Elian make it to the majors — and a chance to potentially play against him.
“That,” Juan said, “would be a great experience for us.”