When Detroit Tigers closer Gregory Soto arrived at Coors Field in Denver last July for the All-Star Game, the first-time All-Star sought out New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman, a fellow flamethrower in town for the seventh Midsummer Classic of his career.
Soto and Chapman talked at length about the mindset of a closer.
“No matter how it goes today, tomorrow you got to go out and compete again,” Soto said of Chapman’s advice. “Both of us throw 100 miles per hour, so we are alike, but he is stronger and throws harder than me.”
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The Tigers signed Soto from the Dominican Republic during the 2012 international signing period. That year, Chapman became a first-time All-Star as a first-time closer with the Cincinnati Reds in his third MLB season.
In 2013, Chapman became a two-time All-Star in his second season as the Reds’ closer.
Fast forward to 2021.
Soto, in his third MLB season, went to his first All-Star Game in his first year as the Tigers’ unofficial closer. Nowadays, he is the team’s official closer and received another All-Star selection in 2022. The 27-year-old will suit up for the American League team Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
“He was curious,” Soto said. “It was nice to have the opportunity to see a guy that I saw when I was younger doing all the things that I’m doing right now. I wanted to take the positives from him and see how things from his performance can add to my performance, so I can get better like him.”
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Pitch types, pitch grips and mechanics were discussed between Soto and Chapman, a pair of hard-throwing left-handers, but the most important topic of the conversation was the psyche of an established closer.
The mental part of the game is what Soto believed he needed to develop most between 2021 and 2022. Putting a bad pitch, or a bad outing, in the rear-view mirror and never looking back is key for any great pitcher.
“Just turning the page really quick,” Soto said.
Criticism isn’t a foreign subject to Soto. He is aware of the comments from naysayers and prognosticators on social media. On June 30, Soto hammered Twitter’s like button on two comments from fans, both adamant that he didn’t deserve to be in the 2022 All-Star Game.
“He sucks,” one fan posted.
One week later, Soto became a two-time All-Star.
“I laugh about it,” Soto said. “I take the positive and I don’t care what the negative comments are, because I know that almost 100% of the people who post any comments on social have never played at this level, so they don’t know how hard it is. I disregard the comments.”
For as much flak as Soto gets for his command, he has been consistent — and nearly perfect — for the Tigers over his two seasons as the closer, converting 36 saves in 39 save opportunities.
That makes him one of the best closers in baseball.
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Soto’s 92.3% save rate ranks second among 87 MLB relievers with at least 20 games finished from 2021-22, behind only Milwaukee Brewers left-hander Josh Hader (95.3%). Soto, by the way, has finished games in 69 of his 95 appearances during this stretch.
He is ahead of several big names: Jordan Romano (91.5%), Chapman (90.7%), Ryan Pressly (90%), Kenley Jansen (87%), Mark Melancon (86.7%), Liam Hendriks (86.2%), Emmanuel Clase (86%), Raisel Iglesias (86.0%), Edwin Díaz (85.2%) and Craig Kimbrel (83%).
“As a closer, you’re going to be put in these situations that are really tough to get out of, whether you get into them yourself or clean up someone else’s mess,” said Michael Fulmer, a high-leverage reliever in the Tigers’ bullpen. “This year has been a night-and-day difference for him. When he gets in those situations, he gets out of them.
“People underestimate it all the time, how big of a deal that is. It’s huge, especially as a closer, to come in and get those outs when the game is on the line in the ninth inning. He’s the perfect guy for it. He has that short memory and pitches every day we need him. Whether he gets into trouble or not, it seems to always work out for us as a team in the end.”
Aside from the elite save percentage, Soto has a 3.13 ERA over 95 innings in 95 games across the past two seasons. In 2022, he owns a 2.59 ERA, 4.3 walks per nine innings, 9.2 strikeouts per nine and has been worth 0.4 fWAR.
Soto is throwing his four-seam fastball 41.1% of the time this year, far more often than ever before in his career. His goal is to consistently command his four-seamer at the top of the strike zone, which will enhance his sinker at the bottom of the strike zone. In the meantime, his nasty slider has taken a backseat, only being used 21% of the time, compared to 37.6% last season.
“I feel very good,” Soto said of his four-seam fastball. “I still haven’t developed it at the top as I wanted to. There’s still some other things I would like to develop during this season and get improved by this season. If not, hopefully for next year, so I can have my four-seamer at the top.”
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He has improved his walk rate from 14.5% in 2021 to 11.3% in 2022. The same is true for his home run rate, from 2.5% to 0.8%. His strikeout rate, though, is worse, from 27.5% to 24.1%, simply because he isn’t as confident in his slider as he used to be.
When comparing Hader and Soto — since they’re Nos. 1-2 in save percentage over the past two seasons — the biggest differences are found in the walks and hits categories.
Hader has a 0.936 WHIP, while Soto comes in at a 1.316 clip. Soto’s WHIP ranks 57th among the 87 relievers with at least 20 games finished. He also ranks 24th in hits per nine innings (6.6), 78th in walks per nine (5.2) and 39th in strikeouts per nine (10.2).
So Soto isn’t Hader, nor is he prime-Chapman.
He is an established closer in pursuit of becoming elite, and although he probably won’t ever flash Hader-like command, his pitch-by-pitch mindset — which Chapman influenced — could be his greatest weapon. After all, it’s the reason for his clutch ninth-inning escapes and top-tier save percentage.
“There’s two parts of it,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “It’s the stuff coming out of his hand, which is electric. It’s up to 100 (mph). He’s got the nasty slider. He’s now flirting with a four-seamer. He’s tough to hit, especially with the slide step when he jumps at the hitter a little bit.
“And then there’s the mentality to be able to handle it. Even though he can be a little erratic from time to time, he still maintains his composure and competitiveness. … I love his approach to the game, and that’s why I keep giving him the ball at critical times.”
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @EvanPetzold. Read more on the Detroit Tigers and sign up for our Tigers newsletter.