‘Juan-derful’ season heads to playoffs

Soto wins batting title, MLB heads to playoffs

The 2020 baseball season began with Juan Soto testing positive for COVID-19. Now, he’s a 21-year-old batting champion — after beating out another player who went through his own ordeal with the coronavirus. Perhaps it was fitting. Soto finished atop the National League with a .351 average Sunday, becoming the youngest person to win the batting title in the NL. The Washington outfielder outlasted Atlanta’s Freddie Freeman, who hit .341. The fact that either player was in a position for this type of accomplishment was emblematic of a regular season that felt chaotic and uncertain at times — but ultimately reached the finish line.

Soto missed baseball’s season opener between the Nationals and New York Yankees back in July, but he ultimately played in 47 games and was one of few bright spots as the defending champions struggled. Freeman played in all 60 games for the Braves, but only after a scary battle with COVID-19. He said he had a fever of 104.5 degrees and prayed for his life.

There have been other sobering moments as well. Boston pitcher Eduardo Rodríguez missed the whole season after coronavirus follow-up tests showed a heart issue.

But although it seemed initially that the season might fall apart because of postponements and positive tests, every team except St. Louis and Detroit managed to play the full 60 games. The Cardinals and Miami Marlins — the two teams hit particularly hard by the virus — both made the expanded postseason. Teams played shortened doubleheaders and the extra-inning rules were different, but in some small ways this season did feel at least a little bit normal.

The Los Angeles Dodgers had the best record in baseball — no shock there. Trea Turner led the major leagues in hits, Jose Abreu topped the list in RBIS and Adalberto Mondesi had the most steals. Mike Trout was phenomenal, but his team didn’t make the playoffs.

None of that would have seemed out of the ordinary in a 162-game campaign.

The postseason, now with 16 teams, could create its own wacky outcomes.

ASSOCIATED PRESS Washington Nationals’ Juan Soto (22) reacts at first after his single during the second inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2020, in Washington.