Juan Soto named to All-MLB first team originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

Juan Soto was not a National League MVP finalist, but he did make it onto the first team All-MLB team revealed Wednesday night.

Soto joined Mike Trout and Mookie Betts in the outfield of the league-wide team which was voted on by fans and a panel of experts. Each group split 50 percent of the vote.

Soto, 22, led the National League in batting average, and Major League Baseball in on-base percentage, OPS and OPS-plus. He finished fifth in MVP voting because he played just 47 games. A positive coronavirus test result placed him in quarantine to start the season. Soto later said he believed the test to be a false-positive. He missed time later in the season because of a sore left elbow.

Neither situation prevented him from an astonishing offensive season in which he reached base almost half the time.

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Betts finished second in NL MVP voting during his first year with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Trout remains recognized as the game’s best player.

Trea Turner was among three finalists at shortstop, but Fernando Tatis Jr. was named to the first team and Corey Seager to the second team.

The All-MLB Team is split into a First and Second Team, each with one catcher, first baseman, second baseman, third baseman, shortstop and designated hitter, plus three outfielders, five starting pitchers and two relievers.