Former Atlanta Braves playoff hero struggles with his new team

Jorge Soler has long been known as a source of offensive power. But this year, Soler’s success is quite limited. He hit six home runs to the tune of a .215 average and a .684 OPS while spending little time on the IL.

Those numbers pale in comparison to his best year with the Royals in 2019, when he hit .265 with a whopping 48 home runs and a .922 OPS. The numerous injuries Soler suffered over the years significantly hampered his productivity.

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 prospect Kasey Kalich in the trade, and at the time, Soler was hitting just .192 with 13 home runs in 308 at-bats.

After the Braves acquired him, he hit .269 with 14 home runs in 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 place in Braves history.

After struggling in the NLDS, Soler came into his own in the World Series. He started the World Series with a home run and ended up hitting .300 with three homers. He added a second World Series ring to his collection after winning the first with the 2016 Chicago Cubs.

In addition to the ring, Soler also won the World Series MVP award. After the 2021 season, Soler joined 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 of his career.

In February, Soler signed a three-year, $42 million contract with the San Francisco Giants, of which he is donating $210,000 to the Giant’s Community Fund.

While the power is still there, the Giants have yet to get what they paid for, but that doesn’t mean his contract will be entirely bad for San Francisco. He still has the potential to have a breakout season, but he’s currently batting .212 and that average isn’t encouraging.

This poor performance could put him on the radar of contending teams if the Giants fall out of the playoff race. They are currently the second wild card in the NL behind the Braves who occupy the first wild card in the NL.

Soler, 32, may be experiencing a bit of a dry spell lately, but that may prove to be just a temporary slump. Soler has had many down and dry years, but seems to overcome them when healthy. He will always have the respect of Atlanta Braves fans because he provided one of the best postseason performances baseball fans could hope for.