Giovanni Soto

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Giovanni Luis Soto

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Biographical Information[edit]

Giovanni Soto is a Puerto Rican baseball player, like the similar-sounding Geovany Soto. However, he is a pitcher while his quasi-namesake is a catcher.

Soto was picked by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 46th round of the 2008 amateur draft but did not sign. The Detroit Tigers chose him in the 21st round of the 2009 amateur draft and inked him to a deal.

Soto had an excellent pro debut with the GCL Tigers, going 4-0 with a save and a 1.18 ERA, holding opponents to a .209 average in 2009. He led the Gulf Coast League in ERA. Moving up to the West Michigan Whitecaps in 2010, he started off 5-5 but with a 2.30 ERA. He was named to the Puerto Rican national team for the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games but was a late cut before the tourney. At the trading deadline on July 28th, the Tigers sent him straight up to the Cleveland Indians in return for SS Jhonny Peralta. He finished the season with the Lake County Captains, going 3-2, 3.77 in 6 starts.

In 2011, Soto was limited to 18 games, going 4-4, 3.13 while spending the bulk of his time with the Kinston Indians (he also was with the AZL Indians on a rehabilitation assignment). In 2012, he went 6-9, 3.93 with the AA Akron Aeros. On July 15th, he pitched a 2-1, 9-inning no-hitter against the Altoona Curve. He moved up to AAA in 2013, with the Columbus Clippers, after pitching for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic. However, injuries got the best of him again, as he made only 9 appearances with a record of 0-1, 5.19, pitching only 8 2/3 innings. He came back healthy in 2014, but spent the season back at Akron, where he was 0-2, 3.23 in 37 relief appearances; he picked up his first professional save since his debut in 2009, and struck out 49 in 53 innings.

Sources include 2010 Tigers Media Guide

Related Sites[edit]

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