Gregory Soto is making a name for himself in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ bullpen this season. The left-handed pitcher has put up impressive numbers, standing out amongst the rest of the relief options.
Soto’s Dominant Stats
Soto has a 1.59 ERA over 17 appearances and 17.0 innings pitched. He has recorded 23 strikeouts to six walks, along with a .107 batting average allowed (BAA) and a 0.71 WHIP.
The Pirates signed Soto to a one-year, $7.75 million deal this offseason. He previously earned back-to-back All-Star nods with the Detroit Tigers in 2021 and 2022.
Advanced metrics further highlight Soto’s effectiveness. His 82.5 mph average exit velocity is in the top 1% of MLB pitchers, and his 24.2% hard hit balls is a top 3% rate.
- His .151 expected batting average (xBA) and .217 expected on-base percentage (xOBP) also rank top 1% of MLB pitchers.
- Soto’s weighted on-base average (wOBA) is .190 and his expected weighted on-base average (xwOBA) is .221, both top 3% in baseball.
- His expected weighted on-base average on contact (xwOBAcon) of .270 is in the top 5% of MLB pitchers.
Soto’s expected ERA is 1.91, placing him in the top 3% of baseball. He’s thrown 15 scoreless outings and only given up hits in four appearances.
High-Leverage Reliever
The Pirates have been using Soto in high-leverage situations. He is used as someone that can come into any situation and get the job done.
The only time he did not do that was blowing a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the eighth inning vs. the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on April 22, despite getting to the last strike with two outs before allowing a
Soto has only given up a home run, which came in the home opener vs. the Baltimore Orioles on April 3, but has been close to perfect since that day.
He has been deployed as a set-up man, forming a duo with right-handed pitcher Dennis Santana, generally coming in the eighth inning.
Soto has also been used in different innings, especially when the Pirates are going to extras. He can excel in whatever high-leverage situation the team needs him for.
Recent Performance Against the Reds
Soto’s best showing of the season came in his most recent performance vs. the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park on May 3.
He came in for right-handed starting pitcher Braxton Ashcraft, who threw 7.2 scoreless innings prior. Soto struck out center fielder TJ Freidl on seven pitches, with runners on the corners to get the final out.
He then got three quick outs to secure a 1-0 win for the Pirates and a sweep over their divisional rival.
The Pirates view Soto as a reliable veteran. They believe they can get great outings from their veteran southpaw.
Soto has gone with his sinker, sweeper, slider