Jorge Soler has long been known as a source of offensive power. However, this year, Soler’s success is quite limited. He has hit six home runs to the tune of a .215 average and a .684 OPS in addition to spending a short time on the IL.
These numbers pale in comparison to his best year with the Royals in 2019 when hit .265 with a whopping 48 homers and a .922 OPS. Soler’s many injuries over the years have significantly hampered his productivity.
Soler's time with the Braves was magical
Soler was briefly a Brave in 2021 when he was brought over from the Kansas City Royals before the trade deadline. The Braves gave up pitching prospect Kasey Kalich in the trade and, at the time, Soler was hitting just .192 with 13 home runs through 308 at-bats.
After the Braves acquired him, he hit for a .269 average with 14 home runs through 208 at-bats. In other words, the Braves got away with a steal. However, it wasn’t his short, regular-season stint with Atlanta that earned him a valuable spot in Braves history.
After struggling through the NLDS, Soler came up big in the World Series. He led off the World Series with a home run and ended up hitting .300 with three home runs. He added a second World Series ring to his collection after earning his first with the curse-snapping 2016 Chicago Cubs.
In addition to the ring, Soler also won the World Series MVP award. After the 2021 season, Soler landed with the Marlins and spent two years there. He earned an All-Star appearance in 2023 and hit 36 home runs which was the second most in his career.
Soler struggling in San Francisco
In February, Soler signed a three-year, $42 million contract with the San Francisco Giants, $210,000 of which he is donating to the Giant’s Community Fund.
While the power is still there, the Giants have yet to get what they paid for, but this doesn’t mean his contract will be entirely bad for San Francisco. He still has the potential to have a breakout season but is currently batting .212 and that average isn't encouraging.
This poor performance could land him on the radar of contending teams if the Giants fall out of the playoff race. They are currently the second NL wild card behind the Braves who occupy the first NL wild card.
The 32-year-old Soler might be having a bit of a dry spell as of late, but this can prove to be just a temporary slump. Soler has had numerous down years and dry spells but seems to overcome them when he is healthy. He will always have the respect of Atlanta Braves fans as he provided one of the best playoff performances baseball fans could hope for.