The Cubs young phenom catcher Geovany Soto has had a rough road to the majors. He was never thought of as the next big star or even a top prospect, but Soto has brought new, young energy to a veteran Cubs team.
Geo, as he is called by his teammates, is a 25-year-old rookie who has brought new life to the Chicago Cubs.
He has shown superior fielding, throwing, and most of all, offensive skills. He has almost surpassed the offensive numbers of all the Cubs catchers of the past five to six years. The catcher's position for the Cubs used to be seen as an easy out, a low average, and virtually no power.
In the past the Cubs have had catchers like Damian Miller, Paul Bako, Michael Barrett, and Jason Kendall. Miller, for example, sported a .233 average, 36 RBI, nine home runs, and a .310 OBP during the 2003 season. Barrett averaged 59 RBI, a .290 average, and 16 home runs. In his short stint with the Cubs, Jason Kendall hit .270 with one home run and 19 RBIs.
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Soto, on the other hand, over the course of half a season, has almost surpassed the best full season stats of any of these other Cubs' catchers.
A .289 batting average, 52 RBI, 15 home runs, and a .375 OBP are all impressive for any player, not to mention he is a rookie.
Geo is overachieving in most people's minds, but this kid can flat out hit, as well as call a spectacular game. Geo is playing the hardest position on the field and putting up numbers Cubs fans are not accustomed to seeing from a catcher. He is on pace to have over 100 RBIs and 30 home runs, no one in the Cubs organization expected those numbers from such a young player.
An adjustment period has not been necessary for Soto as he has shown an uncanny ability to bounce back from any adversity he may face. Soto went through a stretch where he struck out eight times in a row, only to bounce back to hit two three-run home runs in his next game.
Geovany "Geo" Soto has been rookie of the month and voted to the All-Star team, something no NL rookie catcher has ever done. He will surely be in the running for Rookie of the Year and if he can keep his numbers up, he will no doubt continue to win over Cubs fans everywhere.
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4 months ago
Soto has been so good for the Cubs this season. The first sign that he was going to be something special came in spring training when he was named the starter and no one else was brought in to back him up should he falter. Sure we have Blanco but he was never meant to be anything but a backup for the Cubs at this point in his career. And Soto has lived up to all of the hype.
It has been fantastic to watch.
4 months ago
Bryan, great article and I too love Soto and all he means to the Cubs. We went through it seems like a million catchers last season and the second Soto became the starter, the position became a strength rather than a weakness.
Nice job Bryan on pointing this out!
4 months ago
Loved the article Bryan. I think Soto is great, love him and his intensity on the field. After last year and the Koyie Hill fiasco we seemed to have finally found some one!
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