Juan Soto and Miles Mikolas grab their junk at eachother, a breakdown
What Happened
In Game 1 of the 2019 NLCS between the Nationals and Cardinals, Juan Soto came to the plate with the bases loaded in a 1-0 game and went through his full 'Soto Shuffle' routine, scuffing his feet, staring down the pitcher, adjusting his shoulder and grabbing his crotch. Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas worked him with curveballs while Soto kept up the mind games between pitches. After an umpire called a borderline pitch a strike to make it 2-1, Soto rolled over a curveball for a groundout to first. Mikolas then turned and grabbed his own crotch right back at Soto, returning the gesture.
Why This Matters
The Soto Shuffle was already a known quantity to Nationals fans by October 2019, but a national TV playoff stage put it in front of a much bigger audience. There's no rule against any of it. The shuffle is pure intimidation theater, and Soto was 20 years old doing it in his first postseason. The fun here is the exchange. Soto's whole act invites a response, and Mikolas gave it to him after winning the at-bat. Washington went on to take the NLCS in a four-game sweep and then beat the Astros in seven for the franchise's first World Series title. Soto became one of the faces of that run, and the shuffle became part of his brand, drawing both copycats and complaints from opponents for years afterward.
With 2.4 million views, this breakdown ranks 82nd of 1,583 Jomboy videos, putting it in the top 5% of the entire catalog.
Key Moments
Who / What Is Involved
Players: Juan Soto. Teams: Yankees.
Full Transcript
Click timestamps to jump to that momentwe had an old-fashioned junk grabbing
off in Game one of the NLCS Juan Soto
steps up to the plate this one's brought
to you by auction of Champions calm Juan
Soto Nationals fans will tell you he
does that all the time it's the Soto
shuffle and he does do it all the time
sometimes it's more exaggerated
sometimes it's not a lot of you guys
probably like what's the Soto shuffle we
don't know what you're talking about
well feast your eyes on this one of the
most Cox short players he's only 20
years old maybe 21 now eventually he'll
get to 21 if he hasn't done it yet takes
the ball who shuffles the feet stares at
the pitcher grabs the junk shimmies the
shoulder lets him know you're a little
and can throw me a strike he does
it when he's locked in does it when he's
feeling good this is the most aggressive
I ever seen him do it but I don't watch
every single Nationals game because I'm
not a nationals fan look at him
literally licking his chops bases are
loaded you got to throw me a strike and
I'm coming right after you he waits
until the pitcher looks up and sees him
make sure that you know I'm looking at
you and then he's like okay back to it a
little toe up love that weight waving
the bat this is where I like it you
won't throw it there you're scared
little
all right Michaelis is pitching he
doesn't throw it there throws a
curveball nice little shuffle grab the
junk stare at him fix the shoulder a
little bit oh it's like his version of a
haka or something it's all mine games
look at him I look in his chaps come and
get me dude two O's coming up oh yeah
make sure he sees that you're staring at
them all mind games I love it I love it
all around but if you do this when
you're in the batter's box expect people
to grab their nuts back at you that's
kind of the game we're playing here I'm
fine with it all around entertainment
make some entertainment with my sports
oh I'm there for it does the Shelf will
UMP calls it a strike though oh you
interrupted the SoDo shuffle that's some
that's like Sammy Sosa doing the hop on
a fly ball you can't do it you got a no
100 so now he's got it 2-1 this is a
huge at-bat bases loaded into one
nothing game and he rolls over the
curveball for the easy out at first
ooh and michaelis now looks at him make
sure he's looking hey hey my turn
grabs the junk right back in his face I
love it
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perfect purchase then do the Soto
shuffle in your living room