The Chicago Cubs are going through yet another disappointing losing season, but there have been a few bright spots throughout the course of the year. Theo Epstein has decided to begin bringing up his young talent and seeing what they can do at the MLB level, and has seen quite a bit of potential from Javier Baez, Kyle Hendricks, and especially outfielder Jorge Soler. Chicago is expected to look at signing some quality pitching this offseason, and trying to make a run at the postseason next year.
Soler was called up for his first game on August 27th against the Cincinnati Reds, and ended up homering in his first at-bat. The Cubs have been happy to see him continue his success, and see him go on one of the hottest streaks that they have seen from a rookie in quite some time. He is currently posting a .462 batting average to go along with three home runs and 10 RBI’s.
So his early success is leading many to look towards the future and ask one particular question. How good can Soler become in the future?
Chicago signed him to a nine-year, $30 million contract a couple years back, and that type of deal always shows that a team believes the player they are signing is destined for success. He is just 22 years old, and has come through some issues in his past and even as late as this season in the minors to be having his success. Soler was able to be dominant throughout his stints in the minor leagues, racking up a .340 batting average, 40 extra-base hits, and 15 home runs in just 62 games between rookie, Double-A, and Triple-A this season.
Standing at 6’4″ and weighing in at 215 pounds, he definitely looks the part of a slugging batting star. He is a very intimidating presence for a pitcher to throw to, and he has the skill to back it up. Epstein took the time to offer this opinion of Soler and his game when talking to Carrie Muskat of MLB.com.
"“He’s always hit the ball hard, he’s always controlled the zone, but now he’s hitting the ball hard with loft and elevation. His ground balls have become line drives, his line drives have become fly balls, and his fly balls tend to leave the ballpark. He’s a really dangerous hitter. When he’s right, he can use the whole field and loft the ball with ease.”"
Manny Ramirez was hired by the Cubs to be a minor-league coach and help teach hitting to the young players. Soler took to the time to credit Ramirez. He gave the rookie advice immediately before he was called up to the Cubs, and gave him some tips on how to handle the pressure and succeed in the big leagues.
There is a ton of hype surrounding Soler at this point in time, and he’ll need to keep himself grounded and continue playing and focusing on the basics of his game. Chicago has been waiting a long time for this type of year, and seeing all of the potential that the young players have has been exciting to say the least. Soler could very well have the biggest upside offensive of any prospect that the Cubs have, with Kris Bryant coming in at a close second.
All of that being said, how good can Soler become throughout the rest of his career with the Cubs? After watching him play in seven games so far this year, it is hard to say that he is definitely going to become a superstar. While it’s difficult to predict the future of a young player, it can be said that Soler will become as good as he wants to be.
Despite all of the pressure that is on Soler’s shoulders to succeed, he has completely overshot the expectations that were put in place for him. He may not become the next big superstar in Major League Baseball, but he certainly has the potential to. Don’t be surprised to see Soler be one of the faces of baseball before his career is over, and to help lead the Cubs back to postseason contention in the near future.