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Cincinnati Reds infielder Neftali Soto.
Most fans, even the diehards, of the Cincinnati Reds may not remember an infielder who appeared in just 34 games more than a decade ago. However, much of Neftali Soto’s U.S. career was rather nondescript.
The Reds drafted Soto in the 3rd round of the 2007 Draft out of a Puerto Rico high school. He made a steady climb through Cincinnati’s minor league system over the next five seasons, reaching Triple-A for good in 2012. That’s where things stalled out a bit.
Soto spent most of the next five seasons playing at the level within the Reds’, Chicago White Sox‘s, and Washington Nationals‘ systems. The Reds gave him brief looks in the majors during the 2013 and 2014 seasons, seeing time at both first base and third base, though most of his appearances came off the bench as a pinch hitter. He received just 44 plate appearances in those 34 games, going 3-for-42 (.071/.091/.095) with 14 SO.
Neftali Soto heads to Japan
After splitting the 2017 season between Double-A and Triple-A with the Nationals, Soto opted to pursue an opportunity overseas in Japan. At 29 years old, he’d sign with the NPB’s Yokohama DeNA BayStars.
Soto spent six years with Yokohama before joining the Chiba Lotte Marines in free agency for the 2024 season. He’s quickly become a leader in the clubhouse and a favorite with the fans for the Marines.
Overall, over eight seasons in the NPB, Soto has batted .260/.330/.484 with 153 2B and 195 HR.
Soto named team captain by Chiba Lotte
Chiba Lotte made an unusual decision on Thursday, naming Soto as the team captain for the 2026 season. It is the first time the club has named a foreign-born player as captain since Julio Franco in 1998 (the veteran MLB hitter spent just the one season with the Marines before returning to the big leagues, slashing .290/.379/.464 with 27 2B and 18 HR).
Naming an official team captain has become increasingly rare in MLB. Most teams will go years without one. In fact, just two clubs will enter the 2026 season with a player in such a role: the Yankees (Aaron Judge) and the Royals (Salvador Perez). The Rangers had named Marcus Semien as their team captain, but he was traded in November to the New York Mets.
The Reds have had 13 captains in the history of the franchise, but haven’t had an official captain since 2004, when shortstop Barry Larkin retired. Long-time first baseman Joey Votto certainly acted in such a capacity, but was never formally declared the Reds captain during his career.
The practice is more common in Japan. Still, it’s rare for a club to choose a non-Japanese player to fill the role. Soto has made a solid career for himself in Japan, with this being just the latest big moment.
Aaron Somers Aaron Somers has been writing about baseball on a global scale since the early 2000’s. His content has appeared at several outlets over those years, with most of his recent words coming at his To Be Named Later newsletter. More about Aaron Somers
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