Watch: Nationals Dominican Academy Erupts After Juan Soto’s First Career Homer

Juan Soto was just like these kids three years ago.

Three years ago, Juan Soto was at the Nationals’ prospect academy in the Dominican Republic. On Monday, he made his first start in the major leagues and hit a home run on the first pitch he saw. 

The homer sent Nationals Park—and really the whole baseball world—into a frenzy, but no one was more hyped to see Soto go yard than the kids at the Nats’ Dominican academy. 

Soto is one of the top prospects in baseball but reached the bigs much more quickly than anticipated (he was in A ball just last month). Now the next crop of Nationals players have a guy to look up to as they hope to replicate his rapid rise.