3 things that must happen for the San Diego Padres to win the 2024 World Series

Third, Juan Soto must stay in San Diego

In a nutshell, Juan Soto is the best left-handed hitter in baseball. He hit 35 home runs and knocked in 109 runs last season. Soto batted .275/.410/.519 with 68 extra-base hits. Plus, he led the majors in drawing walks for the third time in his six-year MLB career. All of the above is why the Friar Faithful rejoiced after the Padres acquired him at the 2022 trade deadline. But the clock is ticking on his future in San Diego.

Publicly, the Padres have declared Soto “untouchable” this offseason. New Padres chairman and interim control person Eric Kusenda understands the team’s chances of winning a World Series decrease if they trade away one of their top run producers. But Soto’s pending free agency might become a distraction for this coming season. However, Kusenda is too business-savvy to allow this situation to linger much longer. 

There is no reason to criticize the Friars' economical approach with their star outfielder. It is okay to remain status quo and let the season play out. The objective is to win a World Series, and you need talent like Soto to achieve such success.