MLB pitchers say Juan Soto is last batter theyd want to face in Game 7 of the World Series

Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mike Puma about the inside buzz on the Mets.You won’t find many MLB pitchers clamoring to face Juan Soto in a high-leverage spot.In The Athletic’s anonymous player poll, Soto was voted as the hitter pitchers would least want to face in Game 7 of the World Series. The Mets star earned 15.6 percent of the vote among 64 pitchers, edging out Shohei Ohtani (14.1 percent) and Aaron Judge (9.4 percent). What specific qualities make Soto such a tough out?“He’s very disciplined.

Just seems like he doesn’t hit anything soft.Anything in the zone, he puts the barrel on it,” one pitcher told The Athletic.

“His discipline is almost intimidating, for lack of a better word.Especially in a leverage situation, it’s like you have to make a perfect pitch.”Discipline was a theme among the pitchers quoted in the story, which makes sense, considering Soto has drawn more walks in the last five seasons (596) than any other hitter in baseball. “He has amazing control of the strike zone.

You know he’s probably not going to chase,” another pitcher said.“He also has insane power and can hit the ball to all fields.

He’s such a tough out.”Soto, 26, is hitting .248 with 33 RBIs and 12 home runs in an up-and-down start to his Mets career after signing his record-breaking 15-year, $765 million deal. But the lefty is still sporting an impressive 142 OPS+ this season, and he’s slowly breaking out of his slow start. Soto went 6-for-11 with five walks as the Mets swept the lowly Rockies over the weekend, and he reached base all six times (three singles, three walks) in a 13-5 win over Colorado on Sunday. Then, in Tuesday’s 5-4 walk-off win over the Nationals, Soto went 2-for-4 with an RBI double and solo homer. After the game, Soto described his plate approach as trying to “hunt mistakes,” which some of the polled pitchers pointed to. “He hits mistakes every t...