Yankees Birthday of the Day:  Alfonso Soriano

As we continue our daily birthday series, January 7th brings me an opportunity to take a look at a personal favorite Yankee of mine, but also one that was vital to the Yankees over the past quarter-century in a number of ways. Alfonso Soriano, coming in at the tail end of the steroid-era sluggers, somewhat quietly amassed over 400 homers in an excellent 16-year career in the big leagues, a career he bookended with the New York Yankees.

Wielding a bat that appeared to be a foot longer and several pounds heavier than anyone else’s, Soriano was a slugger, a base-stealer, a resurgence, part of a landscape-shifting trade, and a wholly entertaining ballplayer in pinstripes and elsewhere throughout the aughts and 2010s.

Alfonso Soriano
Born: January 7, 1976 (San Pedro de Macoris, DR)
Yankees Tenure: 1999-2003, 2013-14

Alfonso Soriano began his professional baseball career in Japan with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, before he signed with the Yankees in September of 1998. The future All-Star had success in the minors to begin his tenure in the organization, but only made brief and ultimately uninspiring appearances with the big club in 1999 and 2000.

In 2001, however, he was thrust into a full-time role with the three-time defending World Series champs. Playing second base for the Bombers, Soriano appeared in 158 games and had over 600 plate appearances in a largely successful rookie season. He was below-average-to-average with the bat, but certainly showed signs of promise, stealing 43 bases in the regular season, and coming through with some huge hits in an ultimately losing World Series effort.

The following season, Soriano became an indispensable part of the Yankees’ everyday lineup. He led the league in plate appearances and hits, on his way to swatting 39 home runs and stealing over 40 bags once again. It was a massive breakout, as he had suddenly become one of the team’s best and most exciting players. The performance was rewarded, as it was his first of seven consecutive All-Star selections, his first Silver Slugger Award, and he even got a little love in MVP voting that season.

In 2003, Soriano followed up his breakout with a remarkably similar campaign. He hit 38 more homers, continued to steal bases, made the All-Star team, and once again had some big hits in the postseason (he homered in the losing 2003 World Series). Big picture, Soriano seemed fully poised to be a central part of this team for many years to come. But for the Yankees, opportunity came knocking.

Although he looked the part of a very good young player, the Yankees felt that perhaps the best young player in the sport would be a better fit. In February of 2004, Soriano was sent to the Texas Rangers as the primary return for Alex Rodriguez. It was an enormous move in the baseball canon, of which Soriano was obviously not the biggest part, though it should not be forgotten how good he was before and after the move. A-Rod’s impact and legacy with the Yankees has been well-covered, but perhaps we wouldn’t have known it without Soriano.

Now with Texas, the star second baseman continued to produce in his post-Yankee career. He won the All-Star Game MVP in his first season with the Rangers, and continued to combine power and speed like few others around the league could. In fact, after being traded to the Nationals for the ‘06 season, Soriano became just the fourth player in Major League history to join the 40-40 club, hitting 46 home runs and stealing 41 bases. It is a club that also featured Alex Rodriguez.

From there, Soriano began a successful seven-season run as a member of the Chicago Cubs. He made multiple other All-Star teams no playing the outfield, and continued to be a perennial power threat well into his mid 30s, averaging close to 30 homers in his time in Chicago and managing a 110 OPS+ in just shy of 3,700 total plate appearances there.

In his age-37 season, 2013, Soriano continued to produce for the Cubs during the first half of the season. In late July, with the Yankees looking for a mid-season boost, they traded for Soriano, putting him back in pinstripes a decade after he was traded away. Although the Yankees eventually missed the playoffs, a boost would certainly do justice to Soriano’s production after returning.

In 58 games post-trade, the slugger hit 17 home runs and posted a 131 wRC+ in an exhilarating homecoming. Although it proved fruitless for the Yankees in their postseason pursuits, I can recall the excitement of a resurging Soriano, seeming to come through in every big moment for a stretch. It was highlighted by a four-game stretch when he tallied 18 RBIs on 13 hits.

Soriano returned for the Yankees for the 2014 season, coming off of one of his better seasons in recent memory. Now 38, it became clear that the lightning in the bottle had died down and that his best days were officially beyond him. Managing just a 66 wRC+ as a sub-replacement level player through 67 games that season, Soriano had met the end of the road, and was released by the Yankees on July 14th of that year.

That was the last of Alfonso Soriano on a Major League field, but he had certainly made his impact. Seven All-Star selections, four Silver Sluggers, and over 400 career home runs later, that was it, and Soriano finished his career just like he started it — with the Yankees.

Here’s to a happy birthday, a 50th no less, for an underappreciated Yankee of his era!

See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.