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(Bleacherreport) - Even the best pitcher in baseball was no match for the most powerful prodigy of the sport in game 1 of the World Series.
Although the opening of Tuesday's Fall Classic between the Washington Nationals and the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park was originally announced as a fight between aces Max Scherzer and Gerrit Cole, Dominican Juan Soto stole the show while leading the Nationals to their first World Series victory with a 5-4 victory.
Washington's left fielder achieved the first of his three successes - he also stole a base with a good measure - with a solo home run that tied Cole in the fourth inning that landed past the left field:
Juan Soto is 20. #WorldSeries pic.twitter.com/BPS7FSkSoO
- MLB (@MLB) October 23, 2019
In the fifth inning, Soto beat Cole again with a double left that turned the last two races that the Nationals would need:
This is Juan Soto's first #WorldSeries game.
But you wouldn't know it based on these at-bats. pic.twitter.com/XTjcwHbl3a
- MLB (@MLB) October 23, 2019
What happens next will only be known until Thursday, but in the meantime it is worth emphasizing that Soto is only 20 years old.
According to ESPN Stats & Info, Soto is the second youngest player, after Andruw Jones, to be so successful in his World Series debut. For starters, Jones, Miguel Cabrera and Mickey Mantle are the only three players to make a home run at any time in the World Series at a younger age than Soto.
"He's a special player," he told Tom Verducci of Fox Sports, first baseman Ryan Zimmerman, who also made a home run in game 1. "And [it really has been] since the day he appeared. You can tell who is special when they are young because they can slow down the game. And in order to slow down the game at this stage, it must be pretty good. ”
(Bob Levey / Getty Images)
Soto has not only been one of the best hitters in the league since his debut in 2018, but he has also been one of the best young hitters in the history of the majors.
Of all the players who have registered at least 1,000 appearances on the set throughout their 20-year season, only three have published a better OPS +:
1. Ty Cobb: 145
2. Mickey Mantle and Mel Ott: 144
4. Juan Soto: 140
However, it has not been until this month that Soto has found a suitable way to shine. He certainly revealed himself as a born artist with some peculiar habits in the box, but he also made sure not to leave many great moments untapped.
Soto began forging his postseason legend with the decisive blow in the National League wild card game, and then with a home run that tied Clayton Kershaw in Game 5 of the Division Series. The latter paved the way for Washington's eventual surprise of the Los Angeles Dodgers, which won 106 victories.
Soto faced a completely new challenge by taking his first World Series axes against Cole. All that the right-hander did in 2019 was to lead the American League with an effectiveness of 2.50 and achieve the highest strike rate by nine in the history of the MLB. He also entered the World Series with a 1.60 ERA in his last 25 starts, including the postseason.
However, Cole did not even have to make mistakes to be defeated by Soto. The left-handed swinger took advantage of his superior talent to strike in the opposite field to damage a 154-kmh fast ball in the area and a 144-kmh rear door slider.
In other words, Soto became the hero of Game 1 by hitting the pitches of perhaps the best pitcher of all.
Gerrit Cole of the Houston Astros. (Credit: Tim Warner / Getty Images)
The first game was not a total loss for Cole, as he at least removed a load from the Houston corral by pitching until the seventh inning. However, his six eliminations by strike were the least, since he only registered four on August 1, and it was his first outing with up to five races won since May 22.
The fast ball of the 29-year-old player reached a maximum of about 160 km / h, and was hitting difficult balls, so his was not the problem. However, he managed to get the Nationals to swing and fail with just 13 pitches, which is at the lower end of their usual standards.
Surprising? Not necessarily.
The Astros, who led the MLB with 107 wins in the regular season, exploited two clubs: the Tampa Bay and the New York Yankees on their way to the World Series. The Nationals, on the other hand, finished their regular season with the lowest swinging rate in the National League.
If Washington's inclination for difficult at-bats can work against Cole, there is little reason to think it can't work against aces Justin Verlander and Zack Greinke in Games 2 and 3. If so, the Nationals should feel safe. that Stephen Strasburg and Patrick Corbin will get the best end of those clashes.
However, on the other hand, the Astros are not in a totally unknown place. They also lost Game 1 of the 2017 World Series against the Dodgers, only to return and take the series in seven games. And they didn't even have a home advantage two years ago. But this year.
The Astros also showed signs in Game 1 of being ready to get out of their collective depression in the clutch. They had three hits with runners in the scoring position, which are only two less than in the entire American League Championship Series.
Still, the Astros should probably win a game before their hopes are too high. And if Game 1 taught you something, you better be careful when handling the Washington resident prodigy.
Major League Baseball World Series