Former KC Royals slugger celebrates 10 years of MLB service time

Outfielder Jorge Soler, once a forgotten cornerstone of the Kansas City Royals' lineup, has reached a significant milestone: 10 years of Major League Baseball service time.

This achievement places him in an elite club, since fewer than 10% of players ever reach that milestone (which also secures a full pension). Soler was once a struggling batter in Kansas City's organization, but has consistently found work, success, and playing time around the league.

Jorge Soler left his mark on the KC Royals years ago.

After Kansas City acquired him from the Chicago Cubs in December 2016, Soler battled injuries and adjusted to a new ballpark before exploding in 2019. He suited up for all 162 games, led the American League with 48 homers (a franchise record), drove in 117 runs, and slugged .569—becoming the first Royal to clear 40 long balls and piling up 82 extra-base hits, third-most in club history. That single-season home run total was also the most from a Cuban-born player in MLB history.

Soler's MLB journey began with the Cubs on Aug. 27, 2014, where he made an immediate impact by homering in his first at-bat. He was part of the Cubs' 2016 World Series championship team. After his tenure with the Royals, Soler was traded to the Atlanta Braves in 2021, where he played a pivotal role in their World Series victory, earning World Series MVP honors by hitting .300 with three home runs and six RBI. He continued his career with the Miami Marlins, earning an All-Star selection in 2023, and later played for the San Francisco Giants before joining the Los Angeles Angels this winter.​

Reaching ten years of service speaks volumes about Soler’s resilience and sustained excellence—and it pays off in more ways than one. MLB’s pension plan, one of the richest in sports at over $2 billion, kicks in fully at that ten-year mark. At that point, players begin collecting roughly $7,500 a month, and if they defer benefits until age 62, that figure can swell to about $200,000 per year—an impressive reward for a decade of dedication.

He is still chasing that coveted 200-career home run mark, with 196 to his name as of May 1, 2025. In postseason play, Soler has appeared in 30 games, recording a .275 batting average with 22 hits, 7 home runs, and 12 RBIs. Even if Soler hung up the cleats tomorrow, he has had a productive MLB career, with plenty of highs and lows to match his lengthy journey.