Jorge Soler
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Jorge Carlos Soler Castillo (born February 25, 1992) is a Cuban professional
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to catch ...
and
designated hitter The designated hitter (DH) is a baseball player who bats in place of another position player, most commonly the pitcher. Unlike other players in a team's lineup, they generally only play as an offensive player and usually do not play defense as ...
for the
Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, ...
of
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
(MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
,
Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...
,
Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...
,
Miami Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League East, East Division. The ...
, and
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
. Soler played for the
Cuban national baseball team The Cuba national baseball team () represents Cuba at regional and international levels. The team is generally made up of players from the domestic Cuban national baseball system, though it has at times included professional players who defect ...
in international competition. He defected from Cuba in 2011, seeking a career in MLB. After establishing residency in
Haiti Haiti, officially the Republic of Haiti, is a country on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and south of the Bahamas. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island, which it shares with the Dominican ...
, Soler signed a nine-year contract with the Cubs. He made his MLB debut in 2014 and won the
2016 World Series The 2016 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2016 season. The 112th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League (NL) champion Chicago Cubs and the American Leag ...
with the Cubs. The Cubs traded Soler to the Royals after the 2016 season. He led the
American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...
in
home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...
s in 2019. Traded to Atlanta in 2021, Soler won the
2021 World Series The 2021 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2021 Major League Baseball season, 2021 season. The 117th World Series was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) c ...
and earned the
World Series Most Valuable Player Award The Willie Mays World Series Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award is given to the Major League Baseball (MLB) player deemed to have the most impact on his team's performance in the World Series, which is the final round of the MLB postseason. The ...
. Soler signed with the Marlins before the 2022 season. In 2023, he earned his first All-Star selection. Soler signed with the San Francisco Giants for the 2024 season and began the season as their
designated hitter The designated hitter (DH) is a baseball player who bats in place of another position player, most commonly the pitcher. Unlike other players in a team's lineup, they generally only play as an offensive player and usually do not play defense as ...
. The Giants traded Soler to the Braves during the 2024 season and the Braves traded him to the Angels after the 2024 season.


Cuban career

Soler played for the
Cuban national baseball team The Cuba national baseball team () represents Cuba at regional and international levels. The team is generally made up of players from the domestic Cuban national baseball system, though it has at times included professional players who defect ...
in the
2010 World Junior Baseball Championship The 2010 World Junior Baseball Championship was an International Baseball Federation, international baseball competition being held at the Port Arthur Stadium and Central Ball Park in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada from July 23 to August 1, 2010. T ...
, where he had a .304
batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...
, .500
on-base percentage In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) measures how frequently a batting (baseball), batter reaches base (baseball), base. An official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic since 1984, it is sometimes referred to as on-base average (OBA ...
, and .522
slugging percentage In baseball statistics, slugging percentage (SLG) is a measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at-bats, through the following formula, where ''AB'' is the number of at-bats for a given player, an ...
. His nine walks were the second most in the tournament. Cuba won the bronze medal. Soler also played briefly with the
Industriales Industriales is a professional baseball team in the Cuban National Series. Located in Cerro, La Habana, it is known as the only team representing the country’s capital, Havana. Industriales is historically the most successful team in the Nat ...
in the
Cuban National Series The Cuban National Series (, or SNB) is a domestic baseball competition in Cuba. Formed after the dissolution of the Cuban League in the wake of the Cuban Revolution, the National Series is a part of the Cuban baseball league system. For most ...
. Soler defected from Cuba in 2011 to pursue his career in
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
(MLB). He established residency in
Haiti Haiti, officially the Republic of Haiti, is a country on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and south of the Bahamas. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island, which it shares with the Dominican ...
. Soler was unblocked by the
Office of Foreign Assets Control The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is a financial intelligence and enforcement agency of the United States Department of the Treasury, United States Treasury Department. It administers and enforces economic and trade economic sanctions, ...
on June 2, 2012, making him an MLB free agent. As a free agent, many teams were involved in bidding on Soler.


Scouting profile

Soler is tall and weighs . He was described as a power-hitting outfielder who would likely play
right field A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In t ...
. Jim Callis of ''
Baseball America ''Baseball America'' (BA) is a sports publication company that covers baseball at every level, including Major League Baseball (MLB), with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in Minor League Baseball (MiLB) college, high school, and inte ...
'' described Soler in 2011 as "a 19-year-old athlete with five-tool potential." According to Callis, Soler likely would have been a top-five pick in the 2010 draft had he been eligible. Kevin Goldstein of ''
Baseball Prospectus Baseball Prospectus (BP) is an organization that publishes a website, BaseballProspectus.com, devoted to the sabermetric analysis of baseball. BP has a staff of regular columnists and provides advanced statistics as well as player and team perf ...
'' did not rank Soler in his list of the top baseball prospects prior to the 2012 season, but said he would have ranked Soler as the 38th or 39th best prospect if he were eligible. Some teams preferred Soler to higher profile Cuban defector
Yoenis Céspedes Yoenis Céspedes Milanés (born October 18, 1985), nicknamed "La Potencia" (The Power), is a Cuban-born former professional baseball outfielder. He made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut on March 28, 2012, for the Oakland Athletics, and has ...
. Keith Law of
ESPN.com ESPN.com is the official website of ESPN. It is owned by ESPN Internet Ventures, a division of ESPN Inc. History Since launching in April 1995 as ESPNET.SportsZone.com (ESPNET SportsZone), the website has developed numerous sections including ...
indicated that Soler had the talent of a top-five draft choice in the
2012 Major League Baseball Draft The 2012 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 4 through June 6, 2012, from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey. The Houston Astros, with the first overall pick, selected Carlos Correa from the Puerto Rico Baseball Ac ...
, had he been eligible to be drafted. Writing for
Fox News The Fox News Channel (FNC), commonly known as Fox News, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Conservatism in the United States, conservative List of news television channels, news and political commentary Television stati ...
, Mauricio Rubio wrote that "Early in his career he was benched for not hustling, and in a separate incident he ran toward an opposing dugout with a bat." Writing for ''
The Sporting News ''The Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a ...
'', Jeff Mans noted that: "The biggest issue with Soler aside from the hamstring injuries is his temper.... He started out on the wrong foot with the Cubs after failing to report to minor league camp shortly after signing his nine-year, $30 million deal, feeling that he should have been in Chicago immediately. The other scare for the Cubs brass was his relative inability to hit righthanded pitching." According to
Statcast Statcast is an automated tool developed to analyze player movements and athletic abilities in Major League Baseball (MLB). Statcast was introduced to all thirty MLB stadiums in 2015. The Statcast brand is also licensed to ESPN, which uses it to ...
, Soler's average launch speed was in 2016.


American career


Chicago Cubs


Minor leagues

On June 11, 2012, Soler reportedly agreed to a nine-year $30 million contract with the
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
. He made his professional debut that same season with the
AZL Cubs The Arizona Complex League Cubs are a Rookie-level affiliate of the Chicago Cubs, competing in the Arizona Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team plays it home games at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona. The team is composed mainly of player ...
and was promoted to the
Peoria Chiefs The Peoria Chiefs are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. The team was established in 1983 as the Peoria Suns. They are located in Peoria, Illinois, and are named for the Pe ...
in August. In 34 games between the two teams he batted .299 with five home runs and 25 RBI. On April 10, 2013, while playing on the
Daytona Cubs Daytona may refer to: Locations * Daytona Beach, Florida * Daytona Beach Shores, Florida * South Daytona, Florida * The Daytona Beach metropolitan area * Halifax area, also known as Daytona, the region around Daytona Beach Motor racing * Day ...
, immediately following a bench-clearing incident, Soler charged the opposing
Clearwater Threshers The Clearwater Threshers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Florida State League and the Single-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. They are located in Clearwater, Florida, and have played their home games at BayCare Ballpark since 20 ...
'
dugout Dugout may refer to: * Dugout (shelter), an underground shelter * Dugout (boat), a logboat * Dugout (smoking), a marijuana container Sports * In bat-and-ball sports, a dugout is one of two areas where players of the home or opposing teams sit whe ...
while brandishing a
baseball bat A baseball bat is a smooth wooden or metal Club (weapon), club used in the sport of baseball to hit the Baseball (ball), ball after it is thrown by the pitcher. By regulation it may be no more than in diameter at the thickest part and no more t ...
. He was ejected from the game, was fined, and received a five-game suspension. Soler spent all of 2013 with Daytona, slashing .281/.343/.467 with eight home runs and 35 RBI in 55 games. Soler began the 2014 season with the
Tennessee Smokies The Knoxville Smokies are a Minor League Baseball team based in Knoxville, Tennessee. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. The team was based in Kodak, Tennessee, a Knoxville suburb, fr ...
. On July 22, 2014, after batting .415/.494/.862 with six home runs and 22 RBI in 22 games, Soler was promoted to the
Iowa Cubs The Iowa Cubs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They are located in Des Moines, Iowa, and are named for their Major League Baseball (MLB) affiliate. T ...
.


Major League

On August 25, 2014, Soler was called up to the
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
for the first time. In 32 games for Iowa prior to his call up he was batting .282 with eight home runs and 29 RBI in 32 games. In his major league debut on August 27, facing
Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...
pitcher
Mat Latos Mathew Adam Latos ( ; born December 9, 1987) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres from 2009 through 2011, the Cincinnati Reds from 2012 through 2014, and the Miami ...
, Soler hit a home run in his first major league at-bat, becoming the 117th player in MLB history to do so. On September 1 Soler had two doubles in his home debut for the Cubs to become just the third major league player in the last 100 years to have at least one extra-base hit in each of his first five games in the majors. Two days later Soler became the second player in Cubs history with as many as 10 RBIs in his first seven games as a major leaguer. Soler was the starting right fielder for the Cubs 2015 season until an ankle injury sidelined him in early June. He returned to the starting lineup on July 5 after spending time in rehab. He finished the regular season with a .268 batting average, 15 home runs and 67 RBIs. In 2015, Soler's postseason debut, he walked as a pinch-hitter in the ninth inning in Game 1 of the
Division Series The Division Series is the quarterfinal round of the Major League Baseball postseason. Four series are played in this round, two each for both the American League and the National League. 1981 season The first use of the term "Division Series ...
and followed up with a double, two-run home run to straightaway center and two more walks in Game 2, and another home run, a single and two walks in Game 3. Record setting Soler started his postseason career by reaching base nine times in a row, in which he recorded five walks and hit two home runs, a double and a single. In Game 4 Soler ended a game-tying St. Louis Cardinals sixth inning rally with an outfield assist on a game-saving inning-ending put out of Tony Cruz at home plate. The Cubs won the game 6–4 and beat the rival
St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...
in four games to advance to the National League Championship Series. Soler's playing time with Chicago dipped in 2016, playing in 86 games compared to 101 the previous year. The Cubs were the most dominant team for the entirety of the regular season, entering the postseason as the favorites. Through 13 at-bats in the playoffs, Soler totaled 4 strikeouts, 3 walks, and two hits. Both of his hits came in the
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
. The more notable of the two was a triple in Game 3 off of Bryan Shaw. The Cubs went on to win the 2016 World Series over the Cleveland Indians in seven games.


Kansas City Royals

On December 7, 2016, the Cubs traded Soler to the
Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...
for Wade Davis. After a string of injuries and inconsistency at the plate, Soler was demoted to the
Omaha Storm Chasers The Omaha Storm Chasers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. They are located in Papillion, Nebraska, a suburb southwest of Omaha, Nebraska, Omah ...
on June 2. In 74 games for Omaha he batted .267 with 24 home runs and 59 RBIs, and in 35 games for Kansas City, he compiled a .144 batting average with two home runs and six RBIs. Soler began the 2018 season as Kansas City's starting
right fielder A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the ...
. However, after suffering a toe fracture in mid-June, he was sidelined for the remainder of the year. Over 61 games, he hit .265 with nine home runs. Soler returned from the injury in 2019, splitting time between right field and
designated hitter The designated hitter (DH) is a baseball player who bats in place of another position player, most commonly the pitcher. Unlike other players in a team's lineup, they generally only play as an offensive player and usually do not play defense as ...
. On September 3, 2019, he hit his 39th home run of the season, becoming Kansas City's record holder for most home runs in a single season. The following night, Soler became the first Royals player in history to record at least 40 home runs in a single season. In 2019, he batted .265, and led the American League with 48 home runs and 178 strikeouts in 589 at bats. His home run total was the most ever in a single season by a Cuban-born player. In the 2020 pandemic-shortened season, Soler batted .228 with eight home runs and 24 RBIs in 43 games. At the beginning of the 2021 season with Kansas City, he batted .192/.288/.370 in 308 at bats.


Atlanta Braves

On July 30, 2021, Soler was traded to the
Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...
for Kasey Kalich. In 2021, he batted .223/.316/.432 with 27 home runs and 70 RBIs in 516 at bats between the Royals and the Braves. With the Braves, he hit .269/.358/.524. His home runs averaged 423 feet, the longest average home run distance of all major league hitters. In his first start after spending 10 days on the COVID-19
injured list In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 season, it was known as the disabled list (DL). General guidelines ...
, Soler hit a leadoff home run in Game 1 of the
2021 World Series The 2021 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2021 Major League Baseball season, 2021 season. The 117th World Series was a best-of-seven playoff between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) c ...
off of Framber Valdez, becoming the first player to hit a home run in his first appearance of a World Series. In Game 4, Soler hit a
pinch-hit In baseball, a pinch hitter (PH) is a substitute batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the ball is dead (not in active play); the manager may use any player who has not yet entered the game as a substitute. Unlike basketball, Am ...
go-ahead home run in the seventh inning to give the Braves a 3–2 lead, which led them to a 3–1 lead in the World Series. In Game 6, he hit his third home run of the series, a 446-foot, three run shot to give the Braves a 3–0 lead. Soler was named the
World Series MVP The Willie Mays World Series Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award is given to the Major League Baseball (MLB) player deemed to have the most impact on his team's performance in the World Series, which is the final round of the MLB postseason. The a ...
for his performance in the Braves' six-game victory, becoming the second Cuban-born player to win the award after
Liván Hernández Eisler Liván Hernández Carrera (; born February 20, 1975) is a Cuban-born former professional baseball pitcher in Major League Baseball. Over a 17-year career, he played for nine different teams and was named to two All-Star Games. He was na ...
.


Miami Marlins

On March 22, 2022, Soler signed a three-year, $36 million contract with the
Miami Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League East, East Division. The ...
. In 2023, he was named to the National League's roster for the
MLB All-Star Game The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual professional baseball game sanctioned by Major League Baseball (MLB) and contested between the all-stars from the American League (AL) and National ...
. Soler batted .269 with 36 home runs and 75 RBI in 2023. He opted out of his contract and became a free agent following the 2023 season.


San Francisco Giants

On February 18, 2024, Soler signed a three-year, $42 million contract with the
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
. In 93 games for San Francisco, Soler slashed .240/.330/.419 with 12 home runs and 40 RBI.


Atlanta Braves (second stint)

On July 29, 2024, the Giants traded Soler and Luke Jackson to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for Tyler Matzek and Sabin Ceballos. In 49 games for the Braves, Soler slashed .243/.356/.493 with nine home runs and 24 RBI.


Los Angeles Angels

On October 31, 2024, Soler was traded to the
Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, ...
in exchange for Griffin Canning.


Personal life

Soler is married to Leydis Serrano. On November 2, 2023, Soler was included in a lawsuit after allegedly injuring a woman with a ball he threw into the stands during an October 29, 2021
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
game.


See also

* Kansas City Royals award winners and league leaders *
List of baseball players who defected from Cuba This is a list of baseball players who defected from Cuba, consisting of Cuban baseball players who have defected since the beginning of Fidel Castro's presidency. Background Prior to the Cuban Revolution, which saw Castro rise to power in 1959 ...
*
List of Kansas City Royals team records A list is a set of discrete items of information collected and set forth in some format for utility, entertainment, or other purposes. A list may be memorialized in any number of ways, including existing only in the mind of the list-maker, but ...
*
List of Major League Baseball players from Cuba The following is a list of baseball players from Cuba who have played in Major League Baseball. A * José Abreu * José Acosta * Merito Acosta * Rafael Almeida * Luis (Witto) Aloma * Yonder Alonso * Dariel Álvarez * Ossie Álvarez * ...
*
List of Major League Baseball players with a home run in their first major league at bat In baseball, a home run is credited to a batter when they hit a fair ball and reach home safely on the same play, without the benefit of an error. 136 players have hit a home run in their first at bat of a Major League Baseball (MLB) game, the ...


Notes


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Soler, Jorge 1992 births Living people American League home run champions Arizona League Cubs players Atlanta Braves players Baseball players from Havana Chicago Cubs players Cuban expatriate baseball players in the United States Cuban expatriates in Haiti Daytona Cubs players Defecting Cuban baseball players Iowa Cubs players Kansas City Royals players La Habana (baseball) players Los Angeles Angels players Major League Baseball outfielders Major League Baseball players from Cuba 21st-century Cuban sportsmen Mesa Solar Sox players Miami Marlins players National League All-Stars Omaha Storm Chasers players Peoria Chiefs players Sacramento River Cats players San Francisco Giants players Tennessee Smokies players