Jorge Soler facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jorge Soler |
||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Soler with the Chicago Cubs in 2014
|
||||||||||||||
| Los Angeles Angels | ||||||||||||||
| Outfielder / Designated hitter | ||||||||||||||
| Born: February 25, 1992 Havana, Cuba |
||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
| debut | ||||||||||||||
| August 27, 2014, for the Chicago Cubs | ||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics (through 2024 season) |
||||||||||||||
| Batting average | .243 | |||||||||||||
| Home runs | 191 | |||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 516 | |||||||||||||
| Teams | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
|
Medals
|
||||||||||||||
Jorge Carlos Soler Castillo (born February 25, 1992) is a professional baseball player from Cuba. He plays as an outfielder and designated hitter for the Los Angeles Angels in Major League Baseball (MLB). He has played for several other MLB teams, including the Chicago Cubs, Kansas City Royals, Atlanta Braves, Miami Marlins, and San Francisco Giants.
Soler played for the Cuban national team before moving to the United States. He joined the Cubs in 2012 and made his MLB debut in 2014. He helped the Cubs win the 2016 World Series. Later, he led the American League in home runs in 2019 while playing for the Royals.
In 2021, Soler joined the Atlanta Braves and won the 2021 World Series. He was even named the MVP for his amazing performance. In 2023, he was chosen for his first All-Star team. He continues to be a powerful hitter in the league.
Contents
Early Baseball Career in Cuba
Soler played for the Cuban national team when he was younger. He competed in the 2010 World Junior Baseball Championship. In that tournament, he had a good batting average of .304.
Cuba won the bronze medal in the championship. Soler also played for a Cuban team called Industriales. In 2011, Soler left Cuba to pursue a career in Major League Baseball (MLB). He settled in Haiti before becoming a free agent in MLB.
Playing Style and Skills
Jorge Soler is a tall player, standing at 6 feet 4 inches and weighing 215 pounds. He is known for his powerful hitting. Experts have described him as an outfielder who can hit for a lot of power.
Some even said he had the potential to be a "five-tool" player. This means he could hit for power, hit for average, run fast, throw well, and field well. He usually plays in right field.
Major League Baseball Journey
Joining the Chicago Cubs
Starting in the Minor Leagues
On June 11, 2012, Soler signed a nine-year contract with the Chicago Cubs. He started playing professionally that year with the AZL Cubs. He then moved up to the Peoria Chiefs in August. In his first 34 games, he hit .299 with five home runs.
In 2013, while playing for the Daytona Cubs, Soler was suspended for five games. He spent all of 2013 with Daytona, hitting eight home runs. In 2014, Soler played for the Tennessee Smokies and then the Iowa Cubs. He hit very well, with six home runs in 22 games for the Smokies.
Making it to the Major Leagues
On August 25, 2014, Soler was called up to the Chicago Cubs for the first time. In his very first MLB game on August 27, he hit a home run! This made him one of the few players in MLB history to do so.
He continued to impress, getting an extra-base hit in each of his first five games. Soler was the starting right fielder for the Cubs in 2015. He finished that season with a .268 batting average and 15 home runs.
In the 2015 postseason, Soler started strong. He reached base nine times in a row in his first few playoff games. He hit two home runs and a double during this time. The Cubs won their series against the St. Louis Cardinals.
In 2016, Soler played in 86 games for the Cubs. The Cubs were a very strong team that year. Soler had two hits in the 2016 World Series, including a triple. The Cubs went on to win the 2016 World Series, beating the Cleveland Indians.
Time with the Kansas City Royals
On December 7, 2016, the Cubs traded Soler to the Kansas City Royals. After some injuries, he was sent to the minor leagues for a short time. In 2017, he hit two home runs in 35 games for the Royals.
.jpg)
Soler started the 2018 season as the Royals' starting right fielder. However, he got a toe injury in June and missed the rest of the year. He hit nine home runs in 61 games that season.
In 2019, Soler returned strong. He split his time between right field and designated hitter. On September 3, 2019, he hit his 39th home run of the season. This set a new record for the most home runs in a single season for the Kansas City Royals. The next night, he hit his 40th home run.
In 2019, Soler led the American League with 48 home runs. This was the most home runs ever hit in a single season by a player born in Cuba. In the shorter 2020 season, he hit eight home runs.
Winning with the Atlanta Braves
On July 30, 2021, Soler was traded to the Atlanta Braves. He hit .269 with the Braves. His home runs averaged 423 feet, which was the longest average distance of all major league hitters that year.
In his first game back after being on the injured list, Soler hit a leadoff home run in Game 1 of the 2021 World Series. This made him the first player to hit a home run in his first World Series appearance. In Game 4, he hit a pinch-hit home run that gave the Braves the lead.
In Game 6, he hit his third home run of the series. It was a huge 446-foot shot that helped the Braves take a 3–0 lead. Soler was named the World Series MVP for his great performance. He was the second Cuban-born player to win this award.
Playing for the Miami Marlins
On March 22, 2022, Soler signed a three-year contract with the Miami Marlins. In 2023, he was chosen to play in the MLB All-Star Game. Soler hit 36 home runs and had 75 RBIs in 2023. After the 2023 season, he chose to become a free agent.
Joining the San Francisco Giants
On February 18, 2024, Soler signed a three-year contract with the San Francisco Giants. He played 93 games for San Francisco, hitting 12 home runs.
Return to the Atlanta Braves
On July 29, 2024, the Giants traded Soler back to the Atlanta Braves. He played 49 games for the Braves in his second time with the team, hitting nine home runs.
Playing for the Los Angeles Angels
On October 31, 2024, Soler was traded to the Los Angeles Angels.
Personal Life
Jorge Soler is married to Leydis Serrano.
See also
In Spanish: Jorge Soler para niños
- Kansas City Royals award winners and league leaders
- List of baseball players who defected from Cuba
- List of Kansas City Royals team records
- List of Major League Baseball players from Cuba
- List of Major League Baseball players with a home run in their first major league at bat
