After a slow start with Braves, Jorge Soler is getting hot at just the right time

Jorge Soler was one of the brightest stars during the Braves World Series run in 2021. He was the MVP with a .300 average in the series, including three home runs and six RBI. Soler became only the second Cuban-born player since Liván Hernández in 1997 to be named World Series MVP.

However, Soler then left Atlanta and signed with the Marlins for the 2022 and 2023 seasons. He opted out of the third year of that contract and signed a three-year contract with the Giants in 2024. His first half of the season in San Francisco was tough, but with Atlanta needing a hitter to get on base, Soler ended up back with his former team at the trade deadline.

Things didn't start off very well as he struggled in his first month back. Soler had a .194 average with 14 hits, including five home runs, 12 RBI, 16 walks and 23 K's. He also played terribly defensively, as evidenced by his OAA of -7.

Despite these struggles, one thing remained strong: his ability to get on base, as evidenced by his .348 OBP from July 1 to August 31.

Jorge Soler is excited about the Braves at just the right time

September was a different story as the Braves right fielder has a .290/.359/.551 line with 20 hits, including six doubles, four home runs, 12 RBI, six walks, 20 strikeouts and an OPS of .910 . His walks haven't been as frequent, but he's coming into contact with the ball much more often and for strength. That's exactly what the team wanted from him.

Soler has an incredible 11.8% walk rate in 2024, which is in the 92nd percentile in all of baseball. His whiff and strikeout rates aren't great, but that's common for most power hitters. He makes up for it with great barrel (12.4) and hard hit percentage (43.9), as well as excellent bat speed (75.4 mph) that ranks 14th in Major League Baseball.

Jorge is heating up at the perfect time for the Braves as they fight for their spot in the postseason. Atlanta is on a five-game winning streak and sits one game clear of the second Wild Card spot, despite being two games out of third place a week ago.

If Soler can carry this momentum into the playoffs, he could be looking at another shot at a postseason MVP honor with Atlanta. He's finally doing exactly what the Braves had hoped he would do, showing that Alex Anthopoulos was wise to take another shot at him.

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