3 reasons San Diego Padres fans can be hopeful for July and August

Summer Soto

We're all aware of the incredibly slow start to the season slugger Juan Soto had at the plate. For those of you just tuning in or had blocked it out of your minds, here's a quick refresher. Heading into the May 1 game against the Reds, Soto was hitting .202. The Padres left fielder would quickly build on that just-above-Mendoza line average once the calendar turned and raised his average .061 points by the end of May. Soto started July at .274 with 14 homers, 42 RBI and an OPS of .921. Soto's numbers are in a much better place with summer here than what they were when winter turned to spring and there's reason to believe that, as Fahrenheit numbers rise over the next two months, so will Soto's production.

July and August have been the strongest for Soto over the course of his career. Both months have produced his best slugging and OPS percentages while his July career batting average of .308 is the highest of all the six months of a regular season. July is also where Soto appears to have the best plate discipline as it is the month where he strikes out the least. August is where Soto is likely to exert the most power at the plate since it's the month he hits the most home runs and accumulates the most total bases over the five full seasons of his career.