PORT ST. LUCIE — This is how a Swiftie sounds about their favorite pop singer. How an art aficionado might feel seeing the Mona Lisa for the first time at The Louvre. That moment when all the Wright Brothers’ theories were rewarded with flight.
Eric Chavez gushes discussing Juan Soto’s hitting — off of a tee. He described getting “goosebumps” watching Soto’s pre-workout routine. The Mets hitting coach has spent a lifetime trying to bottle what he thinks is ideal in a hitter and now gets to watch it meticulously, relentlessly and religiously daily.
“If I had to sum up everything I believe in hitting, he does it,” Chavez said. “He values seeing the baseball and swinging at strikes and being short to the baseball, and he creates low line drive back spin on the balls he hits.”
And Chavez sees the building blocks every day. Away from public viewing. Nestled in the Mets indoor hitting cage in a group with other veterans, including Francisco Lindor, Starling Marte and Brandon Nimmo. Soto goes through a 10-15-minute preparatory regimen. It is mostly the same as the one taught to him as a 16-year-old in the Nationals Dominican academy by one of their minor league instructors, Troy Gingrich, and has not stopped even as the $765 million man.
