The prelude to swinging the bat is the most crucial aspect of hitting.
Distinguishing between good and truly exceptional hitters is their plate discipline.
And who could better acknowledge a hitter’s legendary plate discipline than a prime Cy Young winner?
Gerrit Cole, the star pitcher for the New York Yankees, who has had multiple seasons worthy of the Cy Young award since joining the team in 2020, knows what he’s talking about when he commends his new teammate Juan Soto for his extraordinary ability to differentiate between balls and strikes.
During an interview upon arriving at camp on Thursday, Cole spoke highly of Soto.
“Gerrit Cole described Juan Soto, his new teammate, as an exceptional hitter with unparalleled awareness of the strike zone,” shared MLB insider Jon Morosi on Twitter.
It’s one thing to offer a compliment, which happens frequently in baseball.
However, claiming that Soto possesses the best strike-zone awareness Cole has ever witnessed is truly remarkable.
Soto should not take this praise lightly.
Cole’s argument holds weight: MLB has not witnessed such a patient and consistent hitter since the days of Barry Bonds in the 2000s.
This is not to say that Soto’s hitting ability compares to Bonds, but when solely considering their aptitude for swinging at strikes and avoiding pitches outside the strike zone, Soto is the closest resemblance.
He led MLB with 132 walks last year and has an astounding total of 267 walks in the past two seasons combined.
If manager Aaron Boone positions Soto right before Aaron Judge in the lineup, Judge is poised for a prolific season in terms of RBIs.
According to the Source thecoldwire.com