Gregory Soto…Married, wife’s name is Raengel; has two sons, Yadiel and Grencell…Signed by: Carlos Santana and Ramon Perez
2023
In his first year as a Phillie, posted career bests in appearances (69), holds (24), WHIP (1.14), SO/BB ratio (2.95), whiff % (34.0%), OPP OBP (.284) and walk % (8.8%)...Appeared in at least 60 games for the third straight season (2021-23)...Limited lefties to a slash line of .127/.205/.228 (.432 OPS) which included only 2 HR (88 total BF); .432 OPP OPS was 4th-best among all ML pitchers (min. 85 BF)...Statcast rankings: 97th percentile in fastball velocity (98.3), 96th in xERA (2.79), 93rd percentile in whiff rate and xBA (.199)...Per Statcast, averaged 98.8 mph on his four-seam fastball, the hardest of his career...Posted a 2.79 xERA compared to a 4.62 ERA; that 1.83 difference was the 7th-largest gap among qualified pitchers in MLB...Had a team-leading 24 holds (T-6th-most in the NL) and recorded 3 saves (5/13 at COL, 7/26 vs BAL & 9/27 vs PIT)...Stranded 23 of his 28 inherited runners (82.1%); 17.9 IR scored percentage was 4th-lowest in the NL (min. 25 IR)...Did not allow a run in 51 of his 69 appearances (74.0%)...Did not allow a baserunner in 31 of his 69 appearances (45%); of his 31 perfect appearances, 26 were at least 1.0 IP...Retired 56 of his 69 first batters faced (81.2%) and limited them to a .125/.188/.188 slash line...Made five appearances in the postseason and recorded two holds...In his first career postseason appearance, finished the club’s NLWCS two-game sweep vs MIA on 10/4...Earned a hold in the Phils’ NLDS-clinching win in Game 4,10/12 vs ATL (0.1 IP, H, BB).
2022
Selected to his second consecutive AL All-Star team, the first DET reliever with consecutive appearances since José Valverde, 2010-11... Ranked 5th in the AL and 10th in MLB with 30 saves, a career high... Did not allow an earned run over 12 appearances (12.0 IP), 5/13-6/8... Notched his 30th save of the season on 10/2 vs MIN, marking the first 30-save season by a DET pitcher since 2018 (Shane Greene, 32)... Finished the season as the only ML pitcher with at least 45 saves over the past two seasons (2021-22) with four or fewer blown saves (48-for-52)... Per Statcast, averaged 98.7 mph on his four-seam fastball, the hardest of his career.
2021
Became one of the top high-leverage relievers in baseball in 2021, appearing in 62 games. ...Limited opponents to a .198 (46x232) batting average, the lowest by a Tigers reliever (min. 60.0 innings pitched) since Joaquin Benoit had a .197 opponent batting average in 2013... Successfully converted 18-of-19 save opportunities on the season, including 11 straight to end the season, the longest streak of saves converted by a Tigers pitcher since Shane Greene was successful in 19 straight save opportunities from Sept. 14, 2018-May 12, 2019...ranked ninth in the American League in saves. ...Was selected to the American League All-Star Team, earning his first career All-Star selection...threw an inning in the game, allowing a solo home run. ...Earned the first win of his Major League career April 6 vs. Minnesota, working 2.0 scoreless innings with one hit allowed and two strikeouts. Had three wins and four saves through the first 36 games of the season, becoming the sixth Tigers pitcher since 1969 to do so...prior to Soto, it was most recently accomplished by Mike Henneman in 1991...Allowed just one run over a 17-game stretch from May 17-June 30, compiling a 1-0 record with two saves, a 0.53 ERA (17.0IP/1ER) and 20 strikeouts. ...Earned his first multi-inning save July 7 at Texas, working 2.0 shutout innings with one hit allowed, one walk and three strikeouts...was the first six-out save by a Tiger since Warwick Saupold on April 21, 2018, vs. Kansas City...also had a multi-inning save on September 5 at Cincinnati...Needed just six pitches to pick up the save in the first game of the doubleheader on July 17 vs. Minnesota, becoming the first Tiger to record a 1.0-inning save with six pitches-or-less since Joe Nathan threw six pitches May 12, 2014, at Baltimore. ...Saved three straight games from July 20-22 vs. Texas, the first Tigers pitcher to save three-or-more consecutive games since Shane Greene had saves in five straight from April 2-7, 2019...Threw his fastest pitch of the season on August 3 vs. Boston, a 101.2 MPH fastball that was fouled off by Christian Vazquez...was the highest velocity on a pitch by a Tigers hurler since Bruce Rondon threw a 103.6 MPH fastball Aug. 7, 2013, at Cleveland...Soto threw 10 pitches at 100+ MPH on Aug. 3, the first Tigers pitcher since Bruce Rondon (10 pitches Aug. 12, 2015) to have 10-or-more 100+ MPH pitches in a game..Placed on the injured list Sept. 19 with a left finger fracture and missed the rest of the season.
2020
Made 27 appearances for the Tigers in 2020, posting an 0-1 record with two saves and 4.30 ERA (23.0IP/11ER)...was used almost exclusively in late inning situations, tossing 20.1 of his 23.0 innings in innings seven through nine... Started off the season without allowing a run in any of his first 10 outings, over which he allowed four hits and two walks, while striking out 14 batters in 10.1 innings…also closed the season allowing runs in just three of his final 15 appearances... Allowed multiple runs in three of his 26 outings in 2020…outside of those three appearances he posted an 0.83 ERA (21.2IP/2ER)…all-in-all, he held opponents scoreless in 22-of-26 outings this season... Led the American League among pitchers with at least 23.0 innings pitched with an average velocity of 95.3 MPH…threw the fastest pitch by a Tiger this year at 100.4 miles per hour, on July 31 vs. Cincinnati to strike out Matt Davidson in the seventh... Tossed a scoreless inning of relief in game two of the Aug. 29 doubleheader vs. Minnesota, earning his first career save.
2019
Saw the first Major League action of his career in 2019, appearing in 33 games, including seven starts...Made 10 multi-inning relief appearances from the bullpen this season, posting an 0-2 record and 4.22 ERA (21.1IP/10ER), allowing 26 hits and 10 walks, while striking out 21...Made his Major League debut on May 11 in the second game of the doubleheader at Minnesota and took the loss, allowing seven runs on nine hits with two walks and one strikeout in 4.0 innings...struck out Ehire Adrianza for the first punchout of his big league career...Picked up his first two hits in the first two plate appearances of his Major League career on May 24 at New York (NL) off Noah Syndergaard…the performance marked just the sixth multi-hit game for Detroit pitchers since interleague play began in 1997 and the first since Justin Verlander on April 12, 2014 at San Diego…he became the first Tigers rookie pitcher with a multi-hit game since Rick Porcello on June 12, 2009 at Pittsburgh...Did not allow a run in nine-of-10 outings from August 14-September 8, posting 0.93 ERA (9.2IP/1ER) with six strikeouts...Pitched in 12 games with Aguilas Cibaenas in the Dominican Winter League, and had a 1-0 record with three saves, a 0.82 ERA (11.0IP/1ER) and 16 strikeouts.
2018
Spent the entire 2018 season with Single A Lakeland, making 25 appearances, including 23 starts...Ranked fourth in the Florida State League with a .235 (101x430) opponents batting average, while he was fifth with 115 strikeouts...Threw a season-high 7.0 innings on May 21 vs. Palm Beach, striking out seven and allowing two runs… also pitched 7.0 innings on August 14 vs. Daytona...Allowed two earned runs-or-less in six consecutive starts from June 12-July 13, posting a 2-2 record with a 1.98 ERA (27.1IP/6ER) and 31 strikeouts…struck out nine batters in consecutive starts on July 18 vs. Tampa and July 13 vs. Fort Myers...Posted a 5-4 record with a 2.96 ERA (70.0IP/23ER) and 77 strikeouts in 13 appearances, including 12 starts, at home, while he was 3-4 with a 6.85 ERA (43.1IP/33ER) and 38 strikeouts in 12 outings, including 11 starts, on the road...Made seven starts with the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League, compiling a 1-0 record with a 3.10 ERA (29.0IP/10ER) and 25 strikeouts.
2017
Selected the Tigers Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2017, after compiling a 12-2 record with a 2.25 ERA (124.0IP/31ER) and 144 strikeouts in 23 starts between Single A West Michigan and Single A Lakeland ... Named to the Midwest League Midseason and Postseason All-Star Teams ... Ranked tied for seventh in the Midwest League with 10 wins, while he was 10th with 116 strikeouts ... Did not allow an earned run in his first five starts of the season from April 11-May 7, a stretch that lasted 28.0 innings ... Struck out a season-high 12 batters on May 20 at Lake County...also had a double-digit strikeout performance on July 14 vs. Cedar Rapids, striking out 11 ... Made four starts with West Michigan in July, going 3-0 with a 1.71 ERA (21.0IP/4ER) and 30 strikeouts ... Started five games with Lakeland and allowed two runs-or-less in each start ... Ranked as the 10th-best prospect in the Tigers organization by Baseball America following the season.
2016
Started 15 games with Single A Connecticut in 2016 ... Ranked tied for second in the New York-Penn League with 15 starts, while he was tied for sixth with 62 strikeouts and tied for ninth with 71.1 innings pitched...ranked fifth among New York-Penn League starting pitchers with 7.82 strikeouts per nine innings ... Finished the month of August with a 3-1 record, a 2.45 ERA (33.0IP/9ER) and 29 strikeouts in six starts ... Limited lefthanded hitters to a .194 (19x98) batting average, while righties hit .292 (49x168) against him ... Ranked as the 30th-best prospect in the Tigers organization by Baseball America following the season.
2015
Made 11 appearances, including six starts, between the GCL Tigers and Single A Connecticut in 2015 ... Made five appearances, including one start, with the GCL Tigers in July, going 1-3 with a 2.14 ERA (21.0IP/5ER) and 21 strikeouts ... Threw a season-long 6.2 innings and tied a season high with eight strikeouts on August 28 vs. the GCL Yankees2.
2014
Spent the entire 2014 season with the DSL Tigers, appearing in 16 games, including 10 as a starter ... Pitched in five games, including two starts, during August, going 3-0 with a 0.55 ERA (16.1IP/1ER) and 20 strikeouts.
2013
Completed his first season of professional baseball in 2013, making 16 appearances, including 12 starts, with the DSL Tigers ... Earned the first win of his professional career and struck out a season-high 10 batters on June 10 vs. the DSL Rojos ... Allowed one run-or-less in each of his first five starts from June 4-July 4 and posted a 1-0 record with a 0.98 ERA (18.1IP/2ER) and 26 strikeouts during the stretch.
