Age is Relative

On Monday, nineteen-year old Nationals’ outfielder Juan Soto became the youngest ballplayer to start a game since 2012.  When he hit a three-run home run in his second big-league at-bat, Soto became the youngest player in Nationals’ history to homer (beating Bryce Harper by three days).  Did I mention Soto won’t turn 20 until October 25?  Eloy Jimenez of the White Sox will turn 22 a month later.  So, who’s the better prospect?

Jimenez may be rated higher, but Soto is already in the bigs (albeit due to a slew of injuries to the Washington outfield).  Yet, if circumstances have forced the Nats to call up Soto sooner than they’d like, they still did it without fear of starting his free-agency clock or anything else.  The White Sox under general manager Rick Hahn operate until a different set of rules, ones I don’t pretend to understand.

Top pitching prospect Michael Kopech is already 22, as are two other top-10 Sox prospects; two others are 21 and three are 23.  Only Luis Robert at age 20 comes close to matching Soto in age.  And yet Sox fans are told to wait until the talent is ready.

Yeah, we wouldn’t want another Juan Soto on our hands, now would we?