Gregory Soto
Gregory Soto (born February 11, 1995) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Career. Soto signed with the Detroit Tigers as an international free agent in December 2012. He made his professional debut in 2013 with the Dominican Summer League Tigers, pitching to a 1-2 record and 4.82 ERA in 16 games (12 starts), and returned there in 2014 where he improved, going 5–3 with a 3.20 ERA in 16 games (ten starts). He spent 2015 with the Gulf Coast Tigers and Connecticut Tigers, posting a combined 2–5 record  and 3.23 ERA with 45 strikeouts in 39 total innings between the two teams, and 2016 with Connecticut where he was 3–2 with a 3.03 ERA and 1.43 WHIP in 15 starts. Soto started 2017 with the West Michigan Whitecaps and was promoted to the Lakeland Flying Tigers during the season. After going 12–2 with a 2.25 ERA and 144 strikeouts between the two teams, he was named the Tigers minor league pitcher of the year. The Tigers added him to their 40-man roster after the 2017 season. He spent the 2018 season with Lakeland, going 8–8 with a  4.45 ERA in 113 innings. On January 11, 2019, Soto was suspended for 20 games by Major League Baseball for “conduct detrimental to baseball" under Article XII(B). The suspension started on opening day. He was activated on April 20 and optioned to Lakeland, appearing in one game before being promoted to the Erie SeaWolves. Soto made his major league debut on May 11, 2019, against the Minnesota Twins, starting the second game of a doubleheader as the 26th man. Soto made the Tigers roster out of 2020 summer camp. On August 29, 2020, he earned his first career save against  the Minnesota Twins. With the 2020 Detroit Tigers, he appeared in 27 games, compiling a 0–1 record with 4.30 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 23.0 innings pitched. Soto made the Tigers opening day roster for the 2021 season. Despite allowing a two-run homer, he earned the save in a 3–2 opening day win over the Cleveland Indians on April 1. Soto was named to the 2021 American League All-Star team. At the time of his selection, Soto was 4–1 with a 2.18 ERA. He had 38 strikeouts in 33 innings, and was six-for-six in save opportunities . Soto pitched one inning in the All-Star game, allowing a solo home run to J. T. Realmuto. Soto suffered a fractured finger after getting hit by a line drive on September 17, and was shut down for the remainder of the season. He finished 2021 with a 6–3 record, 3.39 ERA and 18 saves in 19 opportunities, while striking out 76 batters in innings. Pitch selection. Soto is mainly a two-pitch pitcher. He throws a sinking two-seam fastball in the 95 to 99 MPH range (topping out at 101 MPH), and a slider in the 86 to  90 MPH range (topping out at 92 MPH). He also throws an occasional four-seam fastball that averages 97–98 MPH.