D-backs Top 40 Prospects in 2024: No. 19 Yassel Soler

A solid season in the Arizona Complex League raises hopes for teenager Yassel Soler in 2025

Aerial drone view of Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, Venue throughout the year for Cactus League, Arizona Complex League, Arizona Fall League, and various tournaments / Emmanuel Lozano, Michael Chow/The Republic

This article is part of a series reviewing the seasons of the top 40 prospects still in the Arizona Diamondbacks system as of the end of 2024.

Yassel Soler RHB/3B, DOB 1/26/2006, 5'11" 185

Acquired: 2023 International signing from Dominican Republic, $425,000 signing bonus

Yassel Soler hails from Santo Domingo in the DR and was signed as a 17-year-old third baseman. His first taste of professional ball in 2023 went well. He held his own with an approximately league-average batting line of .253/.363/.358. The power hadn't emerged, but the contact skills and defense on display warranted a move to the United States.

Arriving as an 18-year-old Arizona Complex League player, Soler played solid defense at the hot corner, making just five errors in 45 games and posting a .961 fielding percentage. He has a strong arm and makes accurate throws with solid footwork for such a young age.

It's with the bat that Soler took a step real forward in 2024 however. Almost two full years younger than the average prospect in the Complex League, Soler hit an impressive .303/.351/.472, .824 OPS in 218 plate appearances. For context, the Complex League batting line was .261/.370/.392, .762 OPS.

Soler has good contact skills, striking out just 17% of the time compared to the league average of 25%. He combined that with increased power, knocking six homers among his 23 extra-base hits.

Two areas still in need of development are his groundball and pull tendency. He had a 50% ground ball rate and a 50% pull rate. Providing context once again, the MLB GB rate is 42% and the Pull Percentage is 40%. While his power is clearly to the pull side, as a contact-first, defensive player he would benefit from a more all-field approach.

Soler's strong season earned him a cup of coffee in an affiliated ball. He was promoted to the Class-A Visalia Rawhide at the end of the season and got into two games, going 1-for-9

2025 Outlook

Yassel Soler will start the year with Visalia. The odds are as a 19-year-old, a full two years younger than the average player for that level, he will remain there the entire year. That is unless he manages to put up the same kinds of numbers again, in which case a late-season promotion to High-A Hillsboro cannot be ruled out.

First things first however. The first year in affiliated ball can be quite challenging for such a young player. Still, one can't help but be excited about the progress Soler made in 2024 and potential for what lies ahead.

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