Gregory Soto
It may either be the case of bad luck or perhaps the National League just isn’t meant to be for reliever Gregory Soto. Whatever it may be, things haven’t been going smoothly for him since his arrival two years ago.
When the Phillies first acquired Soto from the Detroit Tigers back during the 2022-23 offseason, they believed that they were getting a reliable, hard-throwing bullpen arm who was more than capable of being a strong setup man, as well as a lockdown closer if needed. After all, he had excelled in the closer’s role for two seasons with Detroit, where he maintained an ERA below 3.40 and was an All-Star both years.
However, Soto struggled in his first year with the Phillies last season, compiling a 4.62 ERA while registering 14 holds, three blown saves and four losses. Perhaps he needed some time to acclimatize to the new league after spending his entire career in the American League.
Things started to look up for Soto as he began 2024 on a strong note. He reeled off five consecutive relief appearances without giving up a run to start the year and appeared well on his way to having a breakout season with the Phillies.
However, that was when the wheels began to fall off for Soto. He posted an ugly 7.84 ERA and 2.23 WHIP in his following 13 games but miraculously suffered only one loss. On the season, he's 1-1 with a 5.79ERA and 1.86 WHIP, giving up 17 hits, nine walks and recording 15 strikeouts in 14 innings.
It may be tough to admit, but the Soto experiment does not appear to be panning out well for the Phillies. As one of the two weakest bullpen links currently, along with Domínguez, the Phillies may be forced to use him in lower-leverage situations for the time being until he can get his act back together.
At least with how well the team has been doing, they can allow Soto to work things out with less fanfare. However, if the underwhelming performances persist, Soto’s time with the Phillies may hang by a thread.