Nationals star Soto uses Santa Claus outfit to surprise kids

Noah Plank, the 10-year-old with the spiked hair and the red Trea Turner T-shirt, watched the man in the Santa Claus suit and knew he looked familiar.

The critical tell was that Santa had taken a pitch, then shuffled his left foot to the right and his left foot to the right.

Plank, inside the practice batting cage last week at a Dick’s Sporting Goods in Fairfax County, Virginia, tilted his head. He recognized the voice and face, too, now that he thought about it. His eyes narrowed. He pointed his index finger at Santa, as if to say, “Where have I seen this before?”

Then, Plank threw one more soft-toss pitch. Santa watched it go by and shuffled again. Finally, he lowered his white beard and unveiled a well-known face. It was Juan Soto, dressed as Santa as a surprise for 10 unsuspecting Little Leaguers.

“I was kind of confused because I didn’t think it was going to be him,” Plank said afterward, still dazed.“It was just weird to see him coming out of nowhere.”

When Soto revealed himself, the 10 kids, ages 8 t0 13, expressed shock more than any other emotion. It took a moment for them to connect the man in the red suit and hat with the one from the World Series. Soon, reality sank in.

“We were so freaked out,” 13-year-old Emily Keefe said.

Devyn Carlson, 13: “He’s my favorite baseball player.”

Margaret Flannery-Goodman, 13: “During the games, we only watched him.”

The kids were told nothing, about Soto’s presence or about any funny business at all. They went to the store, they thought, to shop for shoes.