Joakim Soria facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Joakim Soria |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
.jpg)
Soria with the Kansas City Royals in 2011
|
|||
| Pitcher | |||
| Born: May 18, 1984 Monclova, Coahuila, Mexico |
|||
|
|||
| debut | |||
| April 4, 2007, for the Kansas City Royals | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 15, 2021, for the Toronto Blue Jays | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 36–45 | ||
| Earned run average | 3.11 | ||
| Strikeouts | 831 | ||
| Saves | 229 | ||
| Teams | |||
|
|||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
|
|||
Joakim Agustín Soria Ramos (born May 18, 1984) is a former professional baseball pitcher from Mexico. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for many teams from 2007 to 2021. Some of these teams include the Kansas City Royals, Texas Rangers, and Toronto Blue Jays.
Soria started his baseball journey in the Mexican League. He also played briefly in minor league baseball for the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres. The Royals picked Soria in the Rule 5 draft in 2006, and he joined them in 2007. He was chosen as an MLB All-Star two times during his career.
Contents
Joakim Soria's Baseball Career
Starting Out in Baseball
Soria played for teams in Mexico, like the Diablos Rojos del México in the Mexican Baseball League. He also played for the Yaquis de Obregón in the Winter League. In 2006, Soria achieved something amazing in the Mexican Winter League. He pitched a perfect game against the Naranjeros de Hermosillo. This means no opposing player reached base at all!
Playing for the Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals chose Soria in the Rule 5 draft in 2006 when he was 22. He started playing for the Royals in the 2007 season. That year, he had a record of 2 wins and 3 losses. He also got 17 saves and a good earned run average (ERA) of 2.48. A "save" happens when a pitcher finishes a close game and helps their team win.
In 2008, Soria started the season with 13 saves in a row. This broke a club record! He was so good that he was chosen for the 2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. He was the only player from the Royals to be an All-Star that year.
Even with some injuries, Soria finished the 2009 season strong. He had 3 wins, 2 losses, and 30 saves. On May 26, 2010, he reached a big milestone: his 100th career save!
Soria was picked for the 2010 Major League Baseball All-Star Game again, which was his second time. He ended the 2010 season with a great 1.78 ERA and 43 saves.
In 2012, Soria had to have a surgery called Tommy John surgery on his right elbow. This meant he missed the entire 2012 season while he recovered.
Time with Other MLB Teams
After leaving the Royals, Soria signed with the Texas Rangers in 2012. He started playing for them in July 2013 after recovering from his surgery. He became the Rangers' main "closer" pitcher in 2014.
In July 2014, the Rangers traded Soria to the Detroit Tigers. While with the Tigers, he earned his 200th career save in July 2015. Later that month, he was traded again, this time to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Soria returned to the Kansas City Royals in December 2015 for a second time. He then played for the Chicago White Sox in 2018 and the Milwaukee Brewers later that year.
In 2018, Soria signed with the Oakland Athletics. On June 25, 2019, he played in his 674th major league game. This made him the Mexican-born pitcher with the most games played in MLB history! He continued to pitch well for the Athletics in 2019 and 2020.
In 2021, Soria played for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Then, in July 2021, he was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays. After the 2021 season ended, Joakim Soria announced that he was retiring from baseball.
How Joakim Soria Pitched
Soria used five different types of pitches when he played. He mostly used his fastball and his cut fastball. Both of these pitches usually went around 90 miles per hour (140 km/h). His fastball could go up to 94 miles per hour (151 km/h), and his cutter around 93 miles per hour (150 km/h). He also threw a slider, a slower curveball (around 70 miles per hour (110 km/h)), and sometimes a changeup.
Joakim Soria's Personal Life
Joakim Soria is married to Karla, and they have three children together. He is a Christian.
Soria supports a charity called Water Mission, which helps provide clean water to people.
He once had a nickname, "The Mexicutioner." However, in 2011, he said he no longer wanted to be called that. He felt the name sounded too harsh and violent, especially given some difficult situations in his home country.
See also
In Spanish: Joakim Soria para niños
- Rule 5 draft results
