Relive all of the ups and downs of the 2023 Miami Marlins with our Fish On First Season Review, containing detailed articles about a wide variety of players. The FOF staff analyzes the individual impact that each of them had and what it means for their future with the organization.
This installment focuses on right-hander George Soriano.
2023 Timeline
- March 15—optioned to Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
- April 10—recalled from Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
- April 24—optioned to Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
- June 2—recalled from Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
- June 6—optioned to Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
- July 1—recalled from Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
- July 2—optioned to Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
- July 4—recalled from Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
- August 25—placed on paternity list
- August 29—activated from paternity list
Season Stats: 52.0 IP, 26 G, 3.81 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 9.0 K/9, 4.0 BB/9 (age-24 season)
Coming off a solid 2022 season between AA Pensacola and AAA Jacksonville, George Soriano made it up to the big league club for the first time in ’23. He emerged as an important piece of the Marlins bullpen once he was given a shot to prove he could contribute over an extended period.
Soriano got his initial call-up when JT Chargois suffered an oblique injury. The Marlins took things slow with the rookie right-hander, using him as a long man who would eat innings when starters had to come out of a game early. He had only four MLB outings and a total of 10 innings pitched through the end of June, getting most of his reps in Jacksonville.
Soriano’s best individual performance came on July 1 in relief of Eury Pérez, who got hammered by the Atlanta Braves lineup and couldn’t escape the first inning. Even though the game was out of reach, Soriano really turned heads in the organization by retiring 11 of the 12 batters he faced.
After Soriano was recalled on July 4, he was not optioned down again. He contributed 38 ⅓ innings from that day onward, more than any other Marlin who wasn’t a regular starter. July was his most effective month (1.56 ERA in 17.1 IP).
Soriano went 10 days between appearances in late August, which included a stint on the paternity list. Coincidence or not, he finished the season in a bad slump after returning to the Marlins. He put up a 7.80 ERA in his final 10 regular season games and opponents hit .333 against him. He entered the winter on a high note by throwing a scoreless inning in his postseason debut.
Soriano possesses an effective three-pitch repertoire with his best pitch being his slider. It’s a plus slider that had a .162 batting average against with a 38% whiff rate. It was the key to his great success vs. righties.
Soriano’s fastball velocity topped out at 98 mph and averaged 94.6, while his changeup had a 33% whiff rate.
Future with Marlins
Overall, Soriano had a great season in 2023 for the Fish. He came out of nowhere and showed he’s capable of getting outs in a variety of game situations. He appeared in every inning from the first through the ninth, inherited runners and even pitched on back-to-back days when needed.
Soriano should have the inside track to make the 2024 Opening Day roster. The key question is what role will the Marlins use him in. That could depend on how many healthy arms they have entering spring training and what adjustments he makes over the offseason. Relying on Soriano for a starting role might be asking too much, but he has the pitch mix and stuff to be considered.
Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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