page_title: Geovany Soto
section_title: Chicago Cubs
hierarchical_section_title: Geovany Soto / Professional career / Chicago Cubs
caption_attribution_description: English: Geovany Soto, of the Chicago Cubs, takes a swing (cropped).
context_page_description: Geovany Soto is a Puerto Rican former professional baseball catcher. He played in Major League Baseball for the Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics, Los Angeles Angels and Chicago White Sox. He has appeared in the MLB All-Star Game and was named the National League Rookie of the Year in 2008.
context_section_description: Selected by the Chicago Cubs 318th overall in the 11th round of the 2001 Major League Baseball draft, Soto made his major league debut on September 23, 2005, against the Houston Astros.  He was recalled by the Cubs on July 12, 2007, but only had 1 hit in 7 at-bats.  In September 2007, when the Cubs expanded their roster, he joined the team again.  This was mainly because, in the minor leagues that year, he batted .353 with 26 home runs and 109 RBI and was named the Pacific Coast League's MVP while playing for the Iowa Cubs.  After his call-up in September, Soto had an average of .389.  Soto started for the Cubs during the 2007 playoff series against the Arizona Diamondbacks.  In game 2 of the series, Soto hit a home run into the left field bleachers at Chase Field, giving the Cubs an early 2–0 lead.  The Cubs ended up losing that game, but it further solidified him as the Cubs' full-time catcher going into 2008, with Jason Kendall moving on to Milwaukee as a free agent.
caption: Soto batting for the Cubs against the Cincinnati Reds.
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