In 2012, Soto signed with the Tigers, via scouts Carlos Santana and Ramon Perez.

In 2018, the Baseball America Prospect Handbook rated Gregory as the 10th-best prospect in the Tigers' organization. But he fell to #15 in 2019.

Jan. 2019: While he struggled in his first full season in the Florida State League, Soto is still considered to have a bright future. However, that future will be delayed a bit next year, as he was suspended for the first 20 games of the 2019 season for Conduct Detrimental to Baseball.

According to the MLB Collective Bargaining Agreement, Article XII, Part B covers Conduct Detrimental and Prejudicial to Baseball. The clause itself reads “Players may be disciplined for just cause for conduct that is materially detrimental or materially prejudicial to the best interests of Baseball including, but not limited to, engaging in conduct in violation of federal, state or local law. The Commissioner and a Club shall not discipline a Player for the same act or conduct under this provision. In cases of this type, a Club may only discipline a Player, or take other adverse action against him, when the Commissioner defers the disciplinary decision to the Club.”

At this point, it is unknown what, exactly, Soto did to warrant such a punishment. He will still be able to take part in Spring Training; however, he will not be permitted to play for the first 20 games of the season. (David Hill-Fansided)

March 27-April 20, 2019: Soto was placed on the restricted list.

MLB debut (May 11, 2019): Soto pitched four innings and took his first loss.

Jan. 2021: This little anecdote from the Dominican Winter League finals will warm the heart of manager AJ Hinch.

The championship game was Jan. 18. Tigers left-hander Gregory Soto, pitching for Aguilas Cibaenas, had already pitched three scoreless innings in the playoffs. But before the final game, he approached Aguilas manager Felix Fermin.

“Our bullpen was gassed,” Soto said. “But I was in good condition to throw. I just talked to the manager and told him, ‘If you need me to go more than one inning, I’ll be there for you.’

“I wanted to get that ring.”

Fermin gladly took him up on the offer. Soto pitched the seventh and eighth innings, allowing only a solo home run to Kelvin Gutierrez, and Aguila celebrated the Dominican Championship with a 7-4 win over Gigantes del Cibao.

“It was really a nice experience,” Soto said. “It’s something I’ve been working toward my whole career and finally we fulfilled this dream.”

Hinch has made it clear he wants all the pitchers in his bullpen to be ready to pitch multiple innings this season. Soto, who was a starter as recently as 2019, has no problem with that, though he made no secret that his sights are set on a high-leverage role.

“I haven’t talked to anyone about it, but it is something that’s on my mind,” Soto said of possibly fighting for a chance to close games in 2021. “I can’t hide that. But what I’ve got to do is be ready to compete for whatever situation they want me to pitch in. If they mention anything about me being the closer, I’m ready — even more ready than I was last year.”

Righthander Bryan Garcia finished last season as the Tigers’ closer. Soto, who struck out 29 in 23 innings, working mostly in the seventh and eighth innings, did have two saves in three opportunities.   

“They are going to make the decision, they’re the ones that call the shots,” Soto said. “If they trust I can do the job, I will take it and I will give you 100% of myself. But my mindset is to fulfill any requirement they have for me. I will pitch in any inning they want me to pitch.”

Soto, entering his age-26 season, seems on the cusp of a major breakout year. He averages 97 mph on his sinker, which ranks in the upper four percent in baseball (per Statcast). The spin rate on that pitch (2,424 rpms) ranks in the upper 18%.

But it is his slider that he thinks can be the difference-maker. Although he only used it 20% of the time last year, hitters were 1 for 18 with 13 strikeouts against it. The pitch was swung at and missed 61% of the time.

“I focused on throwing my slider more (in winter ball),” Soto said. “I want to be confident and have the trust to throw it in any inning, any pitch count, any situation. I need to keep myself aware that I can use the slider anytime I want. I consider it to be very good — but I don’t want to brag about it.

“It’s just a matter of confidence and trust.”

He has exchanged text messages with new pitching coach Chris Fetter, but so far it’s been nothing more than, “Hello, excited to work with you.” Former pitching coach Rick Anderson convinced Soto to simplify and take a lot of the movement out of his delivery, which helped him harness his command.

“I am keeping the same mechanics,” Soto said. “It’s just trying not to overdo anything and stay in control. When I’ve done that, I’ve gotten good results.”

 It will be interesting to see if Fetter tries to get Soto to use the four-seam fastball more. Both his sinker and slider play to the bottom of the strike zone. A 97-mph four-seam, with Soto’s typical life, would figure to play well up in the zone.

“I have learned to trust myself,” said Soto, who pitched 10 total innings this winter and will not play in the Caribbean World Series. “Trust my stuff. People said all the time that I had talent. It was just a matter of believing it myself and trying to focus on that.”  (chris.mccosky@detroitnews.com - Jan. 21, 2021) (Editor's note: Soto did, in fact, have a breakout season in 2021.)

Last year, Jeimer Candelario’s winter ball team won the Dominican Championship, and he talked about how that experience, focusing solely winning games and not personal results, was transformative for him. He was able to take it into what became his breakout season in 2020.

Soto feels the same way.

“That’s definitely something I can put into practice myself,” he said. “Those are all positive things and we’ve got to take advantage of that. Everything I’ve learned in the Dominican League, I want to keep it up, keep it going into spring training.

“I’m not changing my mindset. I am just keeping my mind focused on winning.”   (chris.mccosky@detroitnews.com - Jan. 21, 2021)

ALL-STAR GAME

July 2021: Soto was chosen to pitch in the All-Star Game.

July 13, 2021: No, Gregory Soto didn’t get to pitch to Juan Soto like he wanted in the All-Star Game at Coors Field. The Tigers reliever missed the Nationals slugger by one batter. But he still seemed to have an enjoyable time at the Midsummer Classic, J.T. Realmuto home run aside, as the American League defeated the National League, 5-2.

Soto, the Tigers’ lone representative at the 2021 All-Star Game, pitched the bottom of the fifth inning. Juan Soto had entered the game in the top half of the frame to replace former Tiger Nick Castellanos, who was retired to end the fourth. The two aren’t related; Soto just wanted the matchup. 

The hard-throwing lefty had his power sinker working early and often, burying one at 98.8 mph to induce a Jesse Winker groundout to lead off the inning. Soto kept working the bottom of the strike zone to Realmuto, who connected on a 1-1 sinker at the same velocity and drove it out to center for the National League’s first run.

Soto regrouped to get two more groundouts, both off of 99 mph fastballs. He threw 11 pitches for the inning, six for strikes, averaging just under 98 mph with his sinker and four-seam fastball. He fell just shy of cracking triple digits, topping out with a 99.8 mph fastball and 99.4 mph sinker.

Soto made sure to make a big entrance, both into the ballpark and into the game. As promised, he had a special suit for his trip down the red carpet, decked out in sky blue with his family at his side.  Soto also had special gear for the game, a shiny silver glove that included Soto’s notable stats displayed on the outside of the webbing.

Don’t expect to see that during a regular-season game; Soto had to change gloves during a ninth-inning appearance for the Tigers earlier this month after he had sweat through his normal glove and umpires ruled the resulting color out of code. One fashion statement Soto didn’t make was his once-bright hair. He didn’t have time to get any special colors blended in, having gotten rid of his orange locks earlier this season. That could change for the stretch run.

“Maybe in a couple weeks,” he told reporters at All-Star media day. (J Beck - MLB.com - July 14, 2021)

TRANSACTIONS

2012: Soto signed with the Tigers, via scouts Carlos Santana and Ramon Perez.

Jan 7, 2023: The Tigers traded LHP Gregory Soto and 2B Kody Clemens to the Phillies for OF Matt Vierling, SS Nick Maton and C Donny Sands.  The 27-year-old Soto is under team control through 2025. 

Jan 13, 2023:  The Phillies avoided arbitration with Soto agreeing to a one-year contract for $3.9 million.

Jan 11, 2024: The Phils agreed to a one-year deal with Soto, avoiding arbitration. 

July 30, 2024: The Phillies traded LHP Gregory Soto to the Orioles for RHP Seth Johnson and RHP Moisés Chace.

Jan 9, 2025: Soto and the O's avoided arbitration agreeing on a one-year contract worth $5.3 million.

July 25, 2025: The Orioles traded LHP Gregory Soto to the Mets for RHP Wellington Aracena and RHP Cameron Foster.

Nov 2, 2025: Soto elected free agency.

Soto, a lefty, has a 90-96 mph FASTBALL, and a low-80's SLIDER that is below-average but shows promise of becoming average down the line. His CHANGEUP lags behind and he will have to work hard to bring it up to average. 

Soto works from a three-quarter arm slot and generates an electric fastball that profiles as a plus pitch. (Spring 2019)

Gregory has pitch-ability. Soto can make mid-game adjustments to get out of trouble and stay in the game.

September 2017: Soto was named the Tigers minor league Pitcher of the Year.

October 2017: Soto was named the Tigers MLBPipeline.com's top-rated pitching prospect for the 2017 season.

Gregory doesn't have a great idea of where the ball is going when it leaves his hand. His cross-body delivery helps contribute to his below-average control, and he has walked 4.6 batters per nine innings over the past two seasons of 2016 and 2017.

Soto will probably end up as a solid arm out of the bullpen. His fastball/curve combo can retire lefthanded hitters and he has enough stuff to face righthanders.

2019 Season Pitch Usage: 4-seam Fastball: 65.9% of the time; Sinker 4.8%; Change 5.5%; and Slider 23.8% of the time. Average velocity: 4-seam 95.7 mph, Sinker 96, Change 88.4, and Slider 85.2 mph.

2020 Season Pitch Usage: 4-seam Fastball: 6.7% of the time; Sinker 73.1%; and Slider 20.3% of the time. Average velocity: 4-seam 97.2 mph, Sinker 97.5, and Slider 87.9 mph.

2022 Season Pitch Usage/Avg. Velo: Sinker 51.3% - 98.3 mph; Slider 22% - 89.4 mph; Fastball 25.8% - 98.8 mph.

2020 Improvements: Tigers pitching coach Rick Anderson and bullpen coach Jeff Pico began working on Gregory Soto’s delivery near the end of last season. Soto’s days as a starter were clearly done; given Detroit’s depth in starting pitching prospects, his future was in the bullpen.

The goal was to simplify Soto’s delivery, eliminate unnecessary motion and get him firing to the plate. His arm strength is good enough that he didn’t need the quirks to throw hard.

“Andy shortened him up a little bit, got him away from the big windup, and everything seems a lot more in control,” said manager Ron Gardenhire. (Jason Beck - July 29, 2020)

2021 Season: Soto finished the season with a 3.39 ERA, 40 walks, 76 strikeouts and 18 saves (in 19 chances) over 63⅔ innings in 62 appearances. He led the team in saves, followed by Michael Fulmer (14), Jose Cisnero (4), Bryan Garcia (2), Kyle Funkhouser (1), Alex Lange (1), Joe Jimenez (1) and Daniel Norris (1).

2022 Season: Soto, who had a 3.28 ERA and racked up 30 saves for the Tigers last season, is one of the hardest-throwing lefties in the Majors. His four-seam fastball averaged 98.7 mph last season, making it the second-fastest qualified pitch by any southpaw — behind only new teammate José Alvarado's sinker (99.6 mph).

Soto has averaged 5.3 walks per nine innings over his four-year career, including 5.1 last season. His strikeout rate also dipped from 29.6 percent in 2020 and 27.5 percent in '21 to 22.8 percent in '22. He also allowed an average exit velocity of 91.4 mph, the sixth-highest mark out of 358 qualified pitchers.

2023 Season: Soto appeared in 69 games, improving his WHIP to 1.144 from last year’s 1.376 with Detroit. But with a 4.62 ERA, the Phillies used him for only three total innings over five appearances in the postseason. His ERA then was 6.00. (Rick Soisson | Oct 27, 2023)

2024 Season: In July the Orioles acquired Soto. The left-hander carried an ugly 5.1 BB/9 rate with the Phils through 43 games this year, pretty much in line with his career rate of 4.8. In fact Soto averaged more than five walks per nine innings in every season of his career except 2023.

Soto was another guy who boasts an electric arm (averaging nearly 98 mph on his fastball) that the Orioles hoped to harness into a late-inning weapon. And Soto certainly had the pedigree. Despite his wildness, he was a two-time All-Star closer for the Tigers in 2021 and 2022 before his trade to Philadelphia. The O’s deemed him worthy of trading one of their better pitching prospects, Seth Johnson, along with intriguing low-level righty Moisés Chace.

Unfortunately, Soto’s first impression in Baltimore couldn’t have gone worse. In his first outing with the Orioles, he gave up four runs, three hits, and two walks while retiring only one batter. Two games later, he suffered another four-run implosion, turning a late 1-0 O’s lead in Toronto into a decisive loss. With a 54.00 ERA through three outings, Soto was, understandably, not making any friends among the O’s fandom.

To his credit, Soto improved dramatically from there. He rattled off 10 straight scoreless appearances, racking up 11 strikeouts and, most impressively, walking only two. From Aug. 8 through the end of the season, he was scored upon only twice, posting a 1.10 ERA and a .559 opponents’ OPS in 20 games. Brandon Hyde began to trust him more often in high-leverage spots rather than mop-up duty, and Soto responded well. Perhaps the Orioles did manage to unlock something in Soto, particularly in terms of throwing more strikes. His walk rate with the Orioles — again, in a very small sample — was a not-terrible 3.6, a vast improvement over his Phillies mark.

2025 Season: Soto might have the most earning power among this winter’s crop of lefties due to both his age and his power repertoire. He’s one of the game’s hardest-throwing lefties but doesn’t generate the whiffs one would expect despite that fact. Soto is serviceable every year but has never broken through despite plus velo and a plus swinging-strike rate. Soto has had command troubles in the past but has posted nice walk rates in two of the past three seasons. A two-year deal at market value setup money seems possible. (Steve Adams | October 27, 2025 - MLB Trade Rumors)

Soto, 30, finished with a 1-5 record, one save, a 4.18 ERA, 24 walks and 70 strikeouts in 60 1/3 innings over 70 relief appearances in 2025 for the Orioles (45 games) and Mets (25).

The Orioles traded him to the Mets on July 25 for two minor league pitchers, right-handers Wellington Aracena and Cameron Foster.

Sept 18-Oct 5, 2021: Soto was on the IL with a left finger fracture.

Soto took a line drive off his left hand on Sept. 17 and initially reported pain in that area. After playing catch before a game at Tropicana Field on Sept. 18, he reported discomfort and swelling in his pinkie finger. X-rays confirmed a fracture in the tip of the finger.