Get to Know Twins Draft Pick, RHP Charlee Soto

Charlee Soto is a right-handed pitcher from Florida who made his way to the Sunshine State after spending time in Philadelphia. He was a notable name through the PDP (Player Development Pipeline) Program. He consistently sat in the upper-90’s with his fastball and touched triple-digits. Somewhat familiar with the Twins, having been coached by LaTroy Hawkins and played at the Fort Myers complex, Soto is beamed on stage in Seattle when talking about the next step of his baseball journey.

I caught up with Soto after he got a good night’s rest from draft night, and by that time, he had already checked in with Minnesota all-star Pablo Lopez. Here’s what he had to say:

Twins Daily: You have one of the best fastballs in this draft. With arms like Paul Skenes and Rhett Lowder, that’s pretty impressive. What about your heater has made it such a reliable pitch beyond just the velocity?

Charlee Soto: Aside from just the velocity of my fastball, the shape and the movement of the pitch set it apart. It’s not a flat, high-90. It has a lot of sink to it, and it’s heavy. I try to break bats and generate weak contact. I think it plays really, really well.

TD: What does the rest of your arsenal look like outside of the fastball? What do you feel most comfortable throwing?

CS: I throw a four-seam fastball, a circle-changeup, and a slider which has a little spike to it. Those three pitches I feel comfortable throwing equally, and can use them in any count to get ahead or if I’m behind and need a strike. I feel comfortable with each the whole way.

TD: You’ve faced high-level competition against elite talent in the PDP program. What do you feel has most prepared you for pro ball?

CS: The PDP program helped me a lot, not only in facing the best competition in the country which is what pro ball is going to look like, but just the way everything was run. We were at the field four hours before the game, we were up at 6:30 am. LaTroy Hawkins was one of my coaches, and having him there with so much professional experience it helped me get to learn what the pro side was like.

TS: Getting into professional baseball, where do you see the greatest area for you to grow or develop as both a pitcher and an individual?

CS: As a pitcher, I want to add one or two pitches to my arsenal. I think it would be good to have a fourth or fifth pitch. I want to go out there and dominate. As an individual, I want to grow. I want to meet new people and new coaches. I want to get better every day and be a leader.

TD: You alluded to the high character of fellow Twins draft pick Walker Jenkins. It’s clear that you possess a very similar trait. How do you attribute your maturity and how you carry yourself on and off the field too?

CS: I think the way I was raised helped a lot. My parents were hard on me, and being the younger sibling, my siblings guided my maturation at an early age. I’ve tried to think ahead of my years, and my brother going through the college experience has helped me to be an example.

TD: Obviously, you’ve dealt with cold before having been in Philadelphia, and you’ve seen the Twins facilities in Fort Myers, but what do you know about the organization, and have you been to Target Field or Minnesota?

CS: I have two buddies in the organization, Jose Salas and Omari Daniel. I talked to Pablo Lopez here at the hotel. They have all told me positive things and that the Twins do a very good job developing their players as both athletes and individuals. Pablo told me how quickly he fell in love with the organization. I’m just ready for it!

TD: Last one, when you’re not playing baseball, what are some hobbies or things you like to do to stay loose and disconnect from the game?

CS: I like doing a lot of community service work. I’m always around the game. My travel coach has a young team, and I always go support them. I feel like that’s huge because they always tell me I inspire them to be great so it’s great going out there and seeing a smile on their face. They have a special place in my heart. I like spending time with my family as well. We’re not always going to be together, so cherishing those special moments is important too.

Welcome to Twins Territory, Charlee!

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