Nationals’ Childish Bambino Juan Soto trolls Bregman and Astros with home run trot

HOUSTON – Let the kids play. That’s one of Major League Baseball’s slogans, and the youngest kid in the World Series embraces it with gusto.

Some of the Nationals were offended when Alex Bregman carried his bat past first base on his home run trot Tuesday in Game 6 of the World Series at Minute Maid Park. Juan Soto, 21, embraced it, owned it, copied it.

Soto loved it so much he vowed to copy it, and dang if he didn’t while helping the Nationals beat the Astros 7-2 to force a winner-take-all Game 7

The Nationals’ Childish Bambino appreciated Bregman’s swag, as Soto called it. He took a mental note as Bregman rounded the bases after giving the Astros a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first inning with a home run to left.

“I only did it because I liked the way he did it,” Soto said. “I don’t care. To me, they can do whatever they want. Throw the bat, flip it, do whatever they want. But never get upset if we do it right back.”

When asked if he decided to trot with his bat to first base immediately after he sent his majestic home run into the upper deck behind the right field wall or right before he went to the plate for that at-bat in the fifth inning, Soto broke into a mischievous smile that showed his age in a way his play does not.

He actually planned it four innings earlier.

Immediately “after he did it, I said, ‘I want to do that too. That looks very fun,’” Soto said with a wicked smile.

Soto gave the Nationals the lead for good when he drilled Justin Verlander’s 3-1, 96-mph fastball 413 feet.

Soto’s home run gave the Nationals a 3-2 lead. It also made Soto the youngest player in baseball history to homer three times in a World Series. He barely celebrated his 21st birthday on Friday.

He has five home runs overall this postseason, breaking Miguel Cabrera’s previous record for the most home runs in a single postseason by a player younger than 22.

He’s actually the only player 21 years or younger to have three home runs in the World Series. He’s only the second player 22 or younger to homer in a potential elimination game, joining legendary Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle.

“It’s really good when you hit a homer in the World Series,” he said. “So I’m proud, really proud. So it feels really good.”

Soto’s teammates love his production, but some of them cringed when he trolled Bregman and the Astros on his own home run trot.

Old school baseball’s unwritten rules are against excessive celebrations or showboating. Act like you’ve been there before, they say. Don’t show up the opposition, they plead.

Don’t flip your bat. Don’t toss your bat in a ridiculous manner. Don’t embarrass your opponents. Don’t do this, don’t do that.

Bregman apologized after the game.

“I just let my emotions get the best of me, and it’s not how I was raised to play the game,” Bregman told the media afterward. “I just let my emotions get the best of me, and I’m sorry for doing that.”

As far as Soto was concerned, there was no need for Bregman to apologize.

Nonetheless, sometimes it seems that old school baseball guys would rather just say, “Don’t have too much fun out there.”

With that mindset, many Nationals players, coaches and even manager Dave Martinez were offended when Bregman carried his bat past first base. The Astros’ charismatic third baseman tried to hand the bat to first base coach Don Kelly, who appeared shocked that Bregman still had it.

Kelly was so caught off guard, he let the bat fall a few feet on the fair side of first base.

“I look at it like throughout baseball all this year you see it all the time,” Nationals veteran Howie Kendrick said. “I think the biggest thing is just respecting the game regardless of whatever. I like (Alex) Bregman.

“Honestly, I was kind of shocked that he did it. But at the same time, I just say to people, even our own guys because Soto turned around and did the same, you just gotta respect the game of baseball. He apologized to a few guys on the field. That’s not who (Alex) is.”

Soto loved it even if his manager and some of his older teammates didn’t like it when Bregman did it.

“We didn’t like it,” Martinez said of Bregman’s home run trot. “And the fact that Soto did it, I’ll be quite honest with you, I didn’t like it when he did it, as well. It’s a conversation I’ll have with Juan. That’s not who we are. I mean, if he feels like he wants to carry the bat all the way to first base, then that’s him.

“But I don’t like when our guys do it. I don’t like the celebration outside the dugout. I’ve said that before. That’s just not who we are.”

Actually, it may be who Soto is.

Embrace it. The kid is special. He hustles and plays the game the right way. He can troll and stroll with the best of them.

More importantly, nobody Soto’s age has ever hit more World Series home runs than the young slugger from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Let the kids play.

“I’ve always liked all of that,” Soto said. “To me, that’s the exciting thing about the game. Since he did it, it looked very beautiful and very fun. I just wanted to do it right back to see how it felt. To me, that all looked cool. I just wanted to have fun.”

Featured Image: MLB Instagram

Inset Image: Jean Fruth