Angels' Struggling $42 Million All-Star Confident He'll Find His Swing Soon

Los Angeles Angels All-Star designated hitter Jorge Soler has struggled at the plate since coming to the American League West, but is confident he can turn things around.

The Angels received Soler from the Atlanta Braves in the offseason for Griffin Canning. The 33-year-old has two years and $26 million left on his contract before hitting unrestricted free agency. During his struggles at the plate, an Angels hitting coach helped Soler make an adjustment to his swing, but he's begun tweaking it yet again.

“I think I have another issue,” Soler said through his interpreter. “But I’m working on it. Doing drills. I’m going to be there soon.”

This season, Soler is batting .217 with eight home runs and 24 runs batted in. His OPS+ of 89 this season would be his lowest in a season since 2017 with the Royals, and is a stark contrast to the 133 he put up with the Atlanta Braves in the back half of the 2024 season.

Soler's missing power is a big factor in his lack of production, as the Cuban — who led the American League in home runs in 2019 — has just three home runs since the beginning of May.

“Obviously, that’s in my head, but I’m not going to the plate and trying to hit homers,” Soler said. “I’m trying to get singles and that’s what’s going to make me feel good.”

Despite his recent struggles at the plate, Angels manager Ron Washington believes Soler is trending up.

“It looks like he’s starting to get more comfortable,” Washington said. “He’s not chasing as much. He’s still a little late on the fastball, but I think with his experience, it’s going to pick back up. What I see right now, he’s putting real good at-bats together. … I’m looking for him to take off there pretty soon.”

Soler closed May with consecutive multi-hit games, and has hits in his last two games as well. The Angels will hope he can continue to produce and rediscover the power he has showcased over his career to help get their season back on track.

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