Six weeks ago, outfielder Juan Soto was just another minor leaguer crammed onto the Hagerstown Sun bus for the long, eight-hour jaunt from western Maryland to Kentucky.
Now the 19-year-old rookie phenom is on charter flights with Bryce Harper and Max Scherzer.
Such are the perks in the rapid rise of Soto, the sweet-swinging left-handed hitter from the Dominican Republic who is drawing raves from his manager, Nationals teammates and opposing scouts.
“This guy can be an absolute star,” said one American League scout, who has watched Soto’s rise from Nationals prospect just a few weeks ago to become an indispensable part of the club’s everyday lineup.