Elian Soto Snubs Mets For NL East Rival Washington Nationals

It didn't take long for the inevitable to occur.

Promising young international prospect, Elian Soto, the younger brother of MLB superstar Juan Soto, is expected to sign with the Washington Nationals once he is eligible in Jan. 2023, per Byron Kerr of The Washington City Paper and 106.7 The Fan.

While it isn't the most surprising news that Soto will join his big brother's organization, it was a bit of a shock after several reports revealed that he initially intended on signing with the Mets.

Not to mention, Soto posted a hype video to his Instagram page while performing baseball activities in Mets' gear with the caption: "Are you ready for what's coming this year?"

In the end, his brother played a large role in swaying his decision to sign with the Nats' over the Mets, as The Athletic reported.

Soto turned 16-years-old on Monday, which is why the native of the Dominican Republic is not eligible to sign with a team until next year.

Regardless, Soto is already known for his impressive power, which has resulted in some high praise from one big-league All-Star and 2021 AL MVP candidate.

"An industry talent evaluator offered that Elian Soto's best tool was his power, with the other tools (hit, running, arm and defense) not ranking as high," wrote New York Post columnist Ken Davidoff. "Nevertheless, there is respect for the bloodlines and any player so young carries considerable room for growth. Blue Jays All-Star Vladimir Guerrero Jr., boasting of some excellent bloodlines himself, told (Hector) Gomez of Elian Soto, 'He hit harder than Juan Soto when he was 15 years old.'"

Soto, like his brother, is represented by super agent Scott Boras of Boras Corp, per The Post. Soto is a left-handed batter that plays third base and is an outfielder as well.