Jorge Soler Bio
Jorge Carlos Soler Castillo (born February 25, 1992) is a Cuban professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter for the Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Chicago Cubs, Kansas City Royals, Atlanta Braves, Miami Marlins, and San Francisco Giants. Across his career, Soler has earned a reputation as one of the league’s most powerful right-handed hitters and a clutch postseason performer.
Soler is a two-time World Series champion, having won with the Cubs in 2016 and the Braves in 2021, when he was also named World Series Most Valuable Player. He was selected to the MLB All-Star Game in 2023 and led the American League in home runs in 2019 with 48. Standing 6 feet 4 inches tall and listed at 215 pounds, Soler combines imposing physical tools with a swing built for extra-base damage.
Early Life and Background
Jorge Carlos Soler Castillo was born on February 25, 1992, in Cuba. Growing up in a country with a deep baseball tradition, Soler developed his game within the Cuban National Series system and represented his country on the international stage. In 2010, he played for the Cuban national baseball team in the 18U Baseball World Cup in Thunder Bay, where he posted a .304 batting average, .500 on-base percentage, and .522 slugging percentage. His nine walks ranked second in the tournament, and Cuba took home the bronze medal.
Soler also appeared briefly with Industriales in the Cuban National Series, the country’s top professional league. Cuban baseball emphasized fundamentals and toughness, and those early experiences helped shape the player he would become. He was regarded by scouts as a five-tool talent with rare raw power, the kind of profile that drew comparisons to higher-profile Cuban defector Yoenis Céspedes.
Path to Professional Baseball
In 2011, Soler made the difficult decision to defect from Cuba, hoping to pursue a career in Major League Baseball. He established residency in Haiti while working through the complex clearance process required for Cuban players. On June 2, 2012, the United States Office of Foreign Assets Control cleared Soler, making him an MLB free agent and opening the door for teams to negotiate.
Several organizations bid for Soler’s services, and on June 11, 2012, he agreed to a nine-year, $30 million contract with the Chicago Cubs. The deal reflected the Cubs’ confidence in his long-term potential. Scouting reports praised his combination of size, strength, and bat speed, with Baseball America’s Jim Callis describing him in 2011 as a 19-year-old athlete with five-tool potential. Soler was viewed by some analysts as a player who would have been a top-five pick in the 2010 MLB Draft had he been eligible.
Jorge Soler Career
Early Career (2012-2014)
Soler began his professional career in the Cubs’ minor league system in 2012, making his debut with the AZL Cubs before a promotion to the Peoria Chiefs. In 34 games across the two affiliates, he batted .299 with five home runs and 25 runs batted in. The following season, he spent the full year with the Daytona Cubs, where he slashed .281/.343/.467 and added eight home runs and 35 RBI in 55 games, though a bench-clearing incident in April 2013 led to a five-game suspension.
He opened 2014 with the Tennessee Smokies and quickly proved too advanced for the level, batting .415/.494/.862 with six home runs and 22 RBI in 22 games before moving up to the Iowa Cubs. On August 27, 2014, Soler was called up to the majors and hit a home run in his first major league at-bat against Cincinnati Reds pitcher Mat Latos, becoming the 117th player in MLB history to accomplish that feat. He finished his first major league stint on a tear, becoming just the third player in the previous 100 years to record at least one extra-base hit in each of his first five major league games.
Chicago Cubs Breakthrough (2014-2016)
Soler became the Cubs’ starting right fielder for the 2015 season before an ankle injury in early June briefly interrupted his progress. After a rehab stint, he returned in July and finished the year with a .268 batting average, 15 home runs, and 67 RBI. In the postseason that October, Soler put together one of the most remarkable individual starts to a playoff career in recent memory, reaching base nine consecutive times across his first three games of the Division Series against the St. Louis Cardinals with a combination of walks, hits, and home runs.
The 2016 season saw Soler’s playing time dip, but the Cubs emerged as the dominant team in baseball and advanced to the World Series against the Cleveland Indians. Soler delivered two hits in the Fall Classic, including a triple in Game 3 off Bryan Shaw, as Chicago captured its first World Series title since 1908 in seven games. Despite his reduced role, Soler earned a championship ring in his first full major league cycle.
Kansas City Royals Era (2016-2021)
On December 7, 2016, the Cubs traded Soler to the Kansas City Royals in exchange for closer Wade Davis. His time in Kansas City began slowly, as injuries and inconsistency at the plate led to a demotion to Triple-A Omaha in 2017, where he batted .267 with 24 home runs. A toe fracture in mid-June of 2018 cost him the rest of that season, limiting him to 61 games and nine home runs.
Soler returned healthy in 2019 and produced the finest season of his career. On September 3, he hit his 39th home run to set a new Royals single-season record, and the next night he became the first Kansas City player ever to reach 40 home runs in a single season. He finished the year with 48 home runs and 178 strikeouts in 589 at-bats, leading the American League in homers and setting the mark for the most home runs ever by a Cuban-born player in a single MLB season. The 2020 pandemic-shortened year saw him hit .228 with eight home runs, and his time with Kansas City ended with a trade to Atlanta in mid-2021.
Atlanta Braves World Series Run (2021)
On July 30, 2021, the Royals traded Soler to the Atlanta Braves, and he quickly provided a spark in the heart of a contending lineup. Between Kansas City and Atlanta, he batted .223/.316/.432 with 27 home runs and 70 RBI in 516 at-bats, and his average home run distance of 423 feet was the longest in the major leagues that season.
In the 2021 World Series against the Houston Astros, Soler authored one of the most memorable individual performances in Fall Classic history. In Game 1, he hit a leadoff home run off Framber Valdez to become the first player to homer in his first plate appearance of a World Series. He added a pinch-hit go-ahead homer in Game 4 and a 446-foot, three-run shot in Game 6 as Atlanta closed out a six-game championship. Soler was named World Series MVP, becoming the second Cuban-born player to win the award after Liván Hernández.
Miami Marlins Era (2022-2023)
On March 22, 2022, Soler signed a three-year, $36 million contract with the Miami Marlins. He provided steady run production in 2023, batting .269 with 36 home runs and 75 RBI. That summer, he was named to the National League roster for the MLB All-Star Game, earning his first career All-Star selection. Following the season, Soler opted out of his contract and became a free agent.
San Francisco Giants and Braves Return (2024)
On February 18, 2024, Soler signed a three-year, $42 million contract with the San Francisco Giants and opened the year as their primary designated hitter. In 93 games with San Francisco, he slashed .240/.330/.419 with 12 home runs and 40 RBI before the Giants traded him, along with relief pitcher Luke Jackson, back to the Atlanta Braves on July 29 in exchange for Tyler Matzek and Sabin Ceballos. In 49 games with Atlanta, Soler slashed .243/.356/.493 with nine home runs and 24 RBI.
Los Angeles Angels Era (2024-Present)
On October 31, 2024, the Braves traded Soler to the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for pitcher Griffin Canning. In his first season with the Angels, he appeared in 82 games and batted .215/.293/.387 with 12 home runs and 34 RBI. On July 26, 2025, Soler was placed on the injured list with low back inflammation and was transferred to the 60-day injured list on September 8.
Driving Style and Strengths
Soler is built in the mold of a classic power hitter, with the bat speed and leverage to drive the ball with authority to all fields. Statcast data has consistently placed his average launch speed near the top of the league, and his average home run distance led all major league hitters in 2021. Defensively, he has primarily played right field while also serving as a designated hitter, and his arm strength remains a notable asset when he patrols an outfield corner.
Notable Events and Milestones
Soler hit a home run in his first major league at-bat in 2014 and later became the first player ever to homer on his first plate appearance of a World Series in 2021. He owns the Kansas City Royals’ single-season home run record with 48, set in 2019, and his two World Series championships in 2016 and 2021 bookend a postseason resume that few active players can match.
Jorge Soler Career Wins
Throughout his major league career, Jorge Carlos Soler Castillo has collected World Series championships with two different franchises and been recognized with several of the sport’s most prestigious individual honors.
World Series and Major Honors
Soler won his first World Series ring as a member of the Chicago Cubs in 2016, capping Chicago’s drought-breaking run. He added a second championship with the Atlanta Braves in 2021 and was named that year’s World Series Most Valuable Player after delivering three home runs and a signature leadoff homer in Game 1. In 2023, he earned his first MLB All-Star selection while playing for the Miami Marlins.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond his major league accomplishments, Soler represented Cuba in international competition, helping his country win a bronze medal at the 2010 18U Baseball World Cup in Thunder Bay. He set the Kansas City Royals’ single-season home run record with 48 in 2019, a mark that also stood as the most home runs ever by a Cuban-born player in a single MLB season.
Jorge Soler Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Jorge Carlos Soler Castillo is married to Leydis Serrano. The couple has built their life around his professional baseball career, with Soler’s social media presence under the handle related to his well-known “Soler Power” nickname connecting him to a wide fan base. His journey from Cuba to the United States by way of Haiti also reflects the sacrifices made by his broader family as he pursued his professional baseball dreams.
Public Personal Life
Soler maintains a public presence on social media, including an Instagram account under the handle js12, and continues to be recognized by fans for his power-hitting identity. On November 2, 2023, his name surfaced in a lawsuit after he allegedly injured a woman with a ball thrown into the stands during the October 29, 2021 World Series game, an incident that drew attention to the responsibilities high-profile players carry in public moments.
2025 Season Performance
Jorge Carlos Soler Castillo’s 2025 campaign with the Los Angeles Angels was interrupted by injury, limiting his impact on the field. In 82 appearances before being shut down, he batted .215/.293/.387 with 12 home runs and 34 RBI, numbers that fell short of the All-Star form he showed with the Marlins in 2023. The Angels continued to feature him as a middle-of-the-order run producer when healthy.
On July 26, 2025, the Angels placed Soler on the injured list due to low back inflammation, and on September 8, they transferred him to the 60-day injured list, officially ending his season. The injury came at an inopportune moment as Los Angeles looked to evaluate its lineup options for the future.
Looking ahead, Soler’s contract runs through 2026, giving the Angels time to see whether his bat can rebound to its previous power-hitting levels once he returns to full health. The franchise will look to Soler to anchor the middle of the order and provide the kind of right-handed pop that made him a two-time World Series champion and an All-Star earlier in his career.
