When putting together our list of the top 100 players of all time, there were plenty of debates about how peak performance and career longevity intersected. For young players in particular, injuries can completely shift a career's trajectory and alter legacies -- as Pete Reiser, J.R. Richard and others learned. Nolan Ryan, Derek Jeter and Cal Ripken are all-time greats because they were great -- but also because they were fortunate enough to stay on the field for many years.
What does that mean for the young stars of today? What Juan Soto has accomplished so far is extraordinary, almost unprecedented, and it has placed him on a career trajectory of an all-time great.