@thenorthstarofninja Sure, it’s.
Soto’s bWAR since he started taking part in isn’t close to that of the perfect few gamers within the recreation over their finest consecutive 7 yr durations. He’s Goldschmidt, Arenado (with three 7-year stretches higher than Soto’s 7-year profession to this point), Machado, Lindor, Marcus Semien, Freeman, Chapman, or Votto, not Betts, Decide, Ohtani, or Trout—and nobody ever thought the primary eight ought to smash the prevailing wage report or must be paid because it turned out Ohtani was paid.
Matt Chapman throughout 2018-2024 put up 35.2 bWAR to Soto’s 36.4 bWAR. Matt Chapman.
Or take Soto’s first 3 season’s, professional rated to three full seasons—he nonetheless will get pipped on bWAR by Andres Giminez’s first 3 full seasons. There’s going to be an enormous monetary price to the GM who goes gaga over these two abilities and ignores the entire participant
Soto’s an amazing two-tool participant, clearly, however he additionally previous gamers’ abilities, is sluggish, shouldn’t be an excellent baserunner, is a poor fielder at one of many simpler positions to fill, and is headed for the DH slot. That strictly limits what his finest years will appear to be, attested to by how 2/3 of his 6 full seasons to this point had been restricted to five WAR. Soto’s way more Miguel Cabrera (simply not fairly nearly as good), himself a three-tool participant who was finished after his age 33 season than he is among the recreation’s genuine handful of half a dozen superstars.
Bobby Witt Jr in his three full seasons has already crushed Soto in his first six full seasons for finest yr by WAR, 9.4 to 7.9. So has Gunnar Henderson, 9.1 to 7.9 in simply two full seasons, and in these two seasons GH has already piled up 42% of the worth Soto created over his profession to this point, 2018-2024. That solely reveals that as nice a two-tool participant Soto is, his worth is capped by having solely these instruments and being under common all over the place else.
Soto’s a terrific participant who must be paid like the primary eight gamers in graf one, not like the perfect participant in baseball—and it’s not notably shut.
Only for enjoyable, non-HOFers (although just a few will get in):
– Soto, 36.4 bWAR 2018-2024
= Chase Utley 49.3, 2005-2011
= Bobby Grich 39.9, 1972-1978
= Kenny Lofton 41.9, 1992-1998
= Keith Hernandez 39.9 WAR 1979-1985
= Jim Edmonds, 37.7 2000-2006
= John Olerud 33.7, 1996-2002
= Abreu 41.6, 1998-2004
= Carlos Correa 34.6, 2016-2022
= Ian Kinsler 34.1, 2009-2015
= Bernie Williams 37.0 1995-2001
= Will Clark 32.9 1988-1994
= Palmeiro 35.5 1993-1999
= Matt Vacation 33.5, 2007-2013
= Carlos Beltran 40.5, 2002-2008
= Billy Willians 36.5, 1962-1968
= Adrian Gonzalez 34.6, 2009-2015
= Brett Butler 32.7, 1986-1992
= Andruw 42.2, 1998-2004; 41.5, 1999-2005; 2000-2006, 40.0
= Jose Altuve 35.1, 2013-2019
= Dale Murphy, 37.2, 1982-1988
